Dragon Age Inquisition X5
by Larien Surion
Summary: We all know what happens with the Inquisition. But what if there had been more than one to stumble out of the Fade? What if there were Five? WARNINGS GIVEN INSIDE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Dragon Age: Inquisition. They belong to BioWare, who, I might add, has made a game I'm absolutely hooked on.  
Notes: The characters named here are from my own playthroughs. I'm trying to keep mostly to names given in the game, such as Lavellan, but the given names are mine.  
This story involves fighting, killing, drunkeness (and the mishaps therein), sex of all kinds (with pregnancy of all kinds), and all the fun, gory shite that can come from a Dragon Age story VERY loosely based on the game. (except perhaps the first two chapters, which introduce the characters)  
Synopsis: What if there wasn't just one person that walked out of the Fade? What if there were . . . five?  
SPOILER ALERT! This story goes through the ENTIRE GAME, so it may give away parts you may not have gotten to yet. If that makes you want to wait with reading this, please bookmark it or favorite it so you can read it after you beat the game.  
All these warnings exist throughout the story, but only go here at the beginning.

Dragon Age: Inquisition X5

Chapter 1: Five from the Fade

It was dark. Everything hazed over in a gross green fog. Lavellan reached a hand out beside him across the hard but smushy ground. The land was hard to explain. He found his brother's hand, tugged him up to standing. His left hand hurt, and when he looked, there was a band of green across it that hadn't been there before. He looked at his brother. The band of green was across his hand, too.  
The pair of Dalish Elves made their way, stumbling, across the gooey, slimy-looking terrain. There was a large cliff-edge, steep enough they wouldn't be able to hold each other's hands as they climbed.  
Halfway up, they spotted someone ahead of them. A bulky creature, short, and obviously heading in the same direction they were. The being slipped, and the two Lavellan pushed back to give the Dwarf a boost back up. They continued the trek in silence.  
"Yuck."  
Something was behind them. Looking back, the first Elf saw that there was also a Human caught in here, with the same green mark on their hand as he and his brother. Looking back up, the Dwarf had the same thing as well.  
"Oi and shite!" Something trudged past them, walking somewhat easily on the slick terrain, catching the spikes that protruded out the side to use as leverage to get up. Just from the size alone, the Lavellan knew it was a Qunari.  
Suddenly, there was skittering. The Human looked back. "Spiders!"  
That was it. It was a mad-scrabble for the top of the hill. A shining figure stood up there, reaching her hand out towards them. One by one, she pulled them up.  
Suddenly, they hit burnt ash and gravel. But something was wrong. There was a pain in the left hand, and the world was foggy and mostly black. There were footsteps coming, and then, blackness.

"Five of them?" The woman asking was a Seeker. A nicely built human female with dark-brown hair cut short, since it was more practical than long hair on the battlefield. She wore armor, simply fashioned and marked with the symbol of the Seekers, a group she had left when she had become part of the Chantry.  
"Yes, Lady Pentaghast." said the soldier.  
""Are any of them awake?" asked the woman beside Lady Pentaghast, a red-head in a hood who wore chain-mail over her clothes.  
"There are two." the officer replied. "The pair of Dalish. The Dwarf is snoring like a Dragon, the Human is just lying there, and we're not sure about the Qunari. It just kneels there, eyes closed. Flinches every time that mark on it's hand get's bigger. They all do."  
"Let us go." said Pentaghast. "Come, Leliana."  
The woman in the hood followed after. "Cassandra, what are we going to do?"  
"That Apostate said they might close the rifts. Since the two elves are the only ones awake, we will have to use them to see whether it is true or not." The pair stepped into the room where the two Lavellan knelt. The marks on their left hands sparked, and the pair winced.  
"Explain yourself!" Cassandra snapped.  
The pair remained silent.  
She grabbed the wrist of the Dalish with the blue markings on his face. "Explain this!"  
"I can't." he replied. He looked over at his brother, who remained silent.  
"What do you mean 'you can't'?"  
"I remember running. A woman, reached her hand out to us." said the Lavellan Cassandra was currently yelling at.  
"Leliana, go to the forward camp. I will bring the prisoners to the rift."  
The woman in the hood walked away.  
"What is going on?" asked the pair.  
"It is better if I show you." Cassandra tied their wrists together, with a small space of rope holding one elf to the other.  
They stepped outside, and the pair stared.  
There was a lot of swirling clouds, with rocks hovering inside a swirl of green that reached from the ground up into the sky.  
"What is that?" came another voice.  
"They woke, and Leliana said to bring them to you immediately." said a guard.  
The Dwarf, Human, and Qunari all stood there, hands tied, staring up at the green mess.  
"We call it the Breach." said Cassandra. "There are many other rifts, smaller, but this one is the first, and also the largest."  
"Sweet Andraste's tits, that's a big hole." said the Dwarf. "Arg!" The marks flared up again.  
"Each time the Breach gets bigger, so do your marks, and they are killing you."  
"Oh, wonderful." said the Qunari. Now that they weren't all shaded tones of green, they could see that the Qunari was a woman. In fact, only the two elves were male. Her horns arced backwards and curled down and then forward. One horn was adorned with a short metal cap, but the other was bare.  
"So, if we help, will it aid in proving our innocence?" asked the Human.  
"We will see."  
As Cassandra led them through the small village, people scowled, frowned, and a few even tossed over-ripe fruit at them.  
"They have already determined your guilt. They need it. Divine Justinia, our Most Holy, has died. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between Mages and Templars. Now, it has been destroyed. Like children, we lash out at the sky, but we must think beyond ourselves, as she did." Cassandra drew a knife and cut the ropes from each of their wrists. "There will be a trial. I can promise you all no more than that."  
"Well, that's comforting." said the Dwarf. "This is going to get messy."  
"I like messy." said the Human. "But this, this is a disaster."  
The Qunari just snorted and followed, tilting her head back and forth to get the kricks out. With a huff, she picked up the Dwarf and kept walking. "You're too slow, Muffy."  
The blue-marked Elf looked over. "Muffy?" he asked.  
"What, got a problem with my name?" the Dwarf asked. "I know it's not as fancy as those Dalish names, but it's mine, and I like it."  
"Dalish names aren't all that fancy either." said the other Elf. Now that they could see, his face-marks proved to be green, almost like the marks on their hands. "I'm Faize, and this is my twin brother, Obsinion."  
"Clan Lavellan." Obsinion added. "So? What the flat-ear called?"  
Faize hit him. "Don't call her that. You don't like being called 'knife-ear'."  
Obsinion stuck his tongue out, only for the bridge they were crossing to suddenly explode and fall from under their feet. The whole group fell down onto a frozen river, along with some supplies. A demon appeared ahead of them, and they backed up.  
"Stay behind me." said Cassandra as she rushed over to fight it.  
More green bubbly lumps appeared around them, and then, more demons popped up. Casasandra wouldn't be able to defend them from all of them.  
The Human looked back. "Weapons." she said, snatching up two short knives. Beside her, Obsinion grabbed a sword and wooden shield, and Muffy grabbed a great-axe. Faize took hold of a bow and the few arrows that hadn't broken in the fall. The Qunari took the basic mage staff that had fallen, blasting the demon that was going after Cassandra's back with a burst of flame that destroyed it on sight.  
Faize jumped back, away from the demons and fired a few arrows. He hated close-range combat, while his older twin seemed to live for it.  
Obsinion laughed as he slashed through one demon. "Now this is getting good." he said. He ducked as another fireball sailed overhead and roasted a shade.  
"WOOOOOO!" shouted Muffy as she swung her axe around. "Well, that looks like all of them." A demon rose up behind her, only to go splat moments later. Muffy looked back. "Thanks, Rose."  
"Whatever." said the Human.  
"Put the weapons down!" Cassandra ordered.  
"Oh, fine." said the Qunari. "Let's us be helpless and defenseless." Under her breath, she added, "Not like I need a staff, anyway."  
"Wait. I cannot always protect you, and you should be able to defend yourselves." Cassandra sighed. "This way."  
The Qunari leaned her staff over her shoulder and sighed. "This day just gets worse and worse." she muttered.  
"I hear fighting." said Rose, the Human. They reached another bridge, this time with a green lumpy crystal, constantly shifting and contracting and bumping out floating overhead. There were a few soldiers, as well as a mage and a Dwarf with a crossbow.  
Almost instantly, the group joined the fight. And somehow, in all that mess, Faize ended up next to the mage, who happened to be a bald Elf with no symbols on himself to say if he was Dalish.  
"Now!" shouted the mage, grabbing Faize's hand and holing it up to the funky-looking crystal. There was a stream of green energy from the mark, and then, the crystal exploded.  
"What just happened?" asked Faize. "What did you do?"  
"I wasn't my doing. The credit is completely yours." said the mage.  
"So, this mark. It can help." said Obsinion. "By the way, baldie, you don't have any marks. You a slave?"  
"Apostate."  
The Qunari remained stoic. "Great, a run-away Circle Mage."  
"Never lived in a circle. But on the topic at hand, at least we know now that the marks of your five captives can close the Rifts. I believe they can also close the Breach."  
Cassandra nodded. "Varric, what are you doing here?"  
"Fighting, what's it look like. Your soldiers aren't in control of the valley anymore, Seeker. You need me."  
"Nice Crossbow." said Faize.  
"Bianca? She's something, isn't she?" Varric smiled. "I'm Varric Tethras, storyteller, merchant, and sometimes, unwelcome tag-along."  
Cassandra sighed. "Lets go."  
"I'm Solas, if we're sharing names." said the mage.  
The others nodded as they continued on.  
"So, you're a mage?" Solas asked.  
The Qunari glanced at him out the corner of her eyes. "Yeah, what of it?"  
"You don't see many Qunari mages." Solas replied.  
"I ran away once my magic manifested. I wan't going to be some Ben-Hassrath pet." she said.  
"You never gave us your name." said Muffy.  
"Don't wanna give it." she replied. "If we live through this shite, then maybe I'll give it up."  
"Fair enough." said Solas.  
"Given that you said you ran away, I'm guessing your Tal-Vashoth." said Varric.  
"Good guess." the Qunari replied. She flipped her staff to the other shoulder. "Duck!" A blast of fire sailed over them and struck another shade. This caught the attention of the two other shades with it, but Faize and Varric put them down before the others could be harmed.  
"You accused me of being a Circle Mage. Were you in a Circle?"  
"Sort of." the Qunari replied. "There were a few apprentices that would help me out with studies when I was in town. Almost got in a fight with a Ben-Hassrath out in Orlais a few times, but I always outsmarted him."  
Faize looked at her. "Really? A Ben-Hassrath spy that failed to handle a Tal-Vashoth?"  
"No, he didn't fail." she returned with a snort. "I just got the better of him with a bit of ice."  
"Open the gates!" Cassandra called.  
The soldiers opened them, frowning at the five prisoners that walked in with Cassandra. As the group walked along the bridge, they could see that they weren't trusted. That the soldiers blamed them for the death of Divine Justinia.  
"Put them in chains!" a man shouted. Chantry cleric, if Obsinion and Faize had done their homework right.  
"They are the only ones who can even hope to close the Breach, Chancellor Roderick." Cassandra returned.  
"I order you . . !"  
"You order me? You are a clerk. An over-glorified bureaucrat." Cassandra looked over at Leliana. "We need to reach the Breach."  
"It's hopeless." said the Chancellor. "Call a retreat, Seeker."  
"It is not hopeless." said Leliana. "If our soldiers charge here, we can cut a path through." She looked at them. "There is a mountain path that you can use to get there."  
"No. We lost a squad up there, I will not risk it."  
"Do we have a say in this?" asked Muffy. "We are the ones with the mark."  
"Fine then, what would you lot have us do?" Cassandra asked.  
Faize looked at his brother. He could see the elder wanted to charge. "Charge." he said.  
Muffy nodded. "I hate sneaking around."  
Rose shrugged. "Charge or the mountain, I don't really care, so long as we get up there."  
"Charge." said the Qunari. "We're not going to make it for that trial. What happens, happens now."  
"Very well, then. We charge. Leliana, gather everyone in the valley. We'll meet you at the Conclave."  
"On your head be the consequences, Seeker." said Roderick as they passed.  
Muffy didn't even look back as she gave him the finger.  
"That was tasteful." commented Varric.  
"I've lived under the Chantry my whole life." Muffy replied. "Said my Chant of Light every morning and evening, like a proper Dwarf of Orlais, and look what happened? I end up here with this thing on my hand, and the Divine Justinia dead. Not the way I wanted my family to end up, probably tossed out of Val Royeaux for what I apparently did or didn't do."  
"Nice to know someone here honored the Chantry." said Cassandra.  
The pair of Lavellan hung back a bit, talking.  
_"She's cute."_  
_"You think every girl who swings a sword is cute."_  
_"Better than you."_  
_"Really?"_  
_"I'm just saying. None of the Elven girls would even look at me."_  
_"And she wants us tried and hanged."_  
_"Hey, if these marks do what baldie there says they can do, we'll become heroes, and then, well, who knows."_  
Faize looked at his brother. They had nearly the same hair color (black and nearly-black), the same eye color (vibrant purple, almost alive), and if it wasn't for their markings, they would look exactly identical. Even the fact that they had rather large, innocent eyes. _"I wish you the best in your endevors, then."_  
"Get up here, you two." Rose shouted.  
The Qunari, who had been behind them with Solas, grabbed both Elves and slung them under each arm, muttering something in Qunlat under her breath. "Here, they've . . . damn and shite, this place looks awful."  
"That's an understatement." said Varric.  
Muffy looked at the large Fade Rift in the center of what had once been the Conclave. "Hard to believe anyone made it out alive."  
"Mind putting me down, you over sized ox?" asked Obsinion. "Not that I mind the ride, but your rump isn't much to look at."  
The Qunari put them down. "You have an idea for getting us up there, right?"  
"No." Cassandra replied. "Let's get down and see if there's anything."  
"That'll be easy." said the younger Lavellan.  
"Faize!" Obsinion shouted. "Oi and shite. Does he have to jump over everything?" He looked over the rail. "Hey Faize! You dead?"  
"Nope, and the ash is a softer landing than I realized."  
"That was a corpse."  
"Oh, gross!" Faize backed away from where he'd landed, shaking the charred flesh off his boots.  
"Someone! Help me!"  
"What?" asked Cassandra. "That was Divine Justinia's voice."  
"Bring forth the sacrifice."  
"Who was that?" asked Muffy.  
"My guess, the one who created the Breach." Solas offered.  
"What's going on?"  
What are you doing?"  
"Oh, hell."  
"Damn and shite, your ugly."  
"Did you find her?"  
"Those . . . those were your voices." Cassandra said. "What are we hearing?"  
"Past events. The Veil is very thin here. This place bleeds with the Fade." Solas replied.  
Above them a black inky figure appeared. "Bring forth the sacrifice."  
A image of Divine Justinia appeared, her arms out to the sides, as if she was being held there. "Someone, help me!"  
The images of the five mark-bearers stumbling in appeared."What's going on?" "What are you doing?" "Oh, hell." "Damn and shite, your ugly." "Did you find her?"  
The dark inky figure pointed at the images of the five. "We have intruders. Kill them all."  
"Those were you five. You were there." said Cassandra. "Who was that? Is the Divine still alive?"  
"We don't know." said the Qunari as the images above faded away. "There something wrong with this Rift."  
"It is closed, but not sealed." said Solas. "I believe one of them can re-open it, and then it can be sealed away properly. However, opening this Rift will attract attention from the other side."  
Leliana's group came into the ruined temple. "We're ready."  
"There will be demons coming through." warned Cassandra. "Get ready."  
Muffy approached the Rift, holding up her hand. Just as the previous Rift did with Faize, there was a green stream out of the mark, and then, an explosion. This time, a huge Demon appeared. A Pride Demon.  
Instantly, they started to attack it, but the Demon just laughed it off, swinging whips of electricity at them.  
Muffy looked up. "It's worth a try." She held her hand up, and the light arced from her hand causing another explosion. The Pride Demon dropped to his knees, weakened. "WOO!" The Dwarf ran over, swinging her axe like a mad-woman.  
The Demon staggered as it tried to stand. It lashed out, swinging the whips of lightning around everywhere. Suddenly, it laughed again, as if the attacks weren't doing any damage at all.  
"Elf! Disrupt the Rift!" Muffy shouted.  
Faize, who'd been back a ways so he could fire the arrows safely, ran towards the Rift. He faltered slightly as he saw Obsinion get hit hard and flung into a wall. He ducked as Rose got tossed in his direction. Holding up his hand, Faize hoped he was close enough to disrupt the Rift again.  
Again, the Pride Demon staggered, and the hits against it seemed much stronger. With a howl, it vanished back into the Rift.  
"Now! Seal it!" yelled Cassandra.  
They didn't need to be told twice. All five of them held their left hands out, their marks letting green light arc out. There was a massive explosion, knocking almost everyone within a close proximity away.  
Cassandra, Solas, and Varric were among the first to get up. While the others were cheering over a victory, they were looking for the five that had closed the Rift.  
"Oh, damn." said Varric, rolling Muffy over. "She's out cold."  
"The Qunari as well." Solas added.  
Cassandra turned over the Elf that had been standing in front of her, as though trying to shield her from anything that might have happened. It was the one with the blue marks, Obsinion. "Are they still alive?" she asked, checking for a pulse.  
"Looks like it." Solas replied, kneeling to check Rose.  
"Get them back to Haven." Cassandra ordered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Inquisition

It hurt, but it was also cold. He tried to roll over, reach for warmth, but fell out of the bed instead.  
"Oh!"  
Looking up, Obsinion noticed an Elf, mark-less, standing there as though she'd just seen a shade. "Where am I?" he asked, reaching back and pulling himself up to sit on the bed.  
"You're in Haven, my Lord." said the Elf, dropping to her knees and bowing. "I'm sorry. I am but a humble servant. I didn't mean to wake you."  
"I just woke up." Obsinion replied. He noticed Faize in another bed, but the other three were probably in another house.  
Faize rubbed his eye and looked over at Obsinion. "How long has it been?" he asked.  
"Three days. The Breach stopped growing, as did the marks on your hands. Lady Cassandra will want to speak with you. She said 'at once'."  
"And where is she?" Obsinion asked. He noticed he was wearing something soft, but not Dalish undergarments. These were fancier, with gold buttons and a dark gray in color. His regular underclothes were a mismatched Halla white with seams going everywhere that barely covered the lower half to the knees, not this neat and completely covering article.  
"The Chantry. 'At once', she said." The poor servant Elf backed away, practically running out the door.  
The twins looked at each other. "Three days?" Faize asked. He rotated his arm, trying to get the stiffness out.  
"You seem to have had a rough sleep." Obsinion observed as he checked the box that had been dropped when the servant had come in. "Oh, Elfroot." He put it in his pocket, knowing how well it could be used in the field for wounds and such.  
"Where did our clothes go?" Faize asked. "Are we the only ones to survive?"  
"Don't know, and I doubt it." Obsinion replied. He inspected a chest that was in the room. "Hey, Faize. I think this one is your type." He tossed a light suit of armor at his brother. "And one in my size."  
"We're the same size." Faize pointed out.  
"Aye, but not the same armor-type." Obsinion returned. "I use heavy armor, remember."  
Faize just put the suit over. It fit perfectly, and looked like . . . "Is this Dragon Armor?"  
"Looks like." Obsinion tested the grip on his shield, which looked like a dragon's wing, and his sword, which looked like a blade coming out of a dragon's mouth.  
Faize checked his new bow, which had the appearance of two dragons with their wings up, one at the top of the grip and one at the bottom, their wings forming the curve of the bow. "They seem to be made for us." he said. "Well, do we go out to see what Cassandra wants?"  
There was suddenly a pounding on the door. "Oi, you two up yet?"  
Obsinion opened the door. "Morning, Muffy."  
"If I have to read the sun, that's not correct. It's afternoon." Muffy returned. She was also wearing Dragon Armor, and her weapon looked like a dragon's tooth on a metal stick. Behind her stood Rose and the Qunari, each with their own respective armors and weapons.  
"Cassandra wants to meet us in the Chantry." said Rose.  
"Better not keep her waiting." Obsinion said as he and Faize headed out.  
All around them, people whispered. "Look, it the Heralds." "I hear they were the ones who can close the Rifts." "They say Andraste herself led them out of the Fade."  
It may have been out of simple reflex, but Obsinion was less than delighted when Faize grabbed his hand. "Must you?"  
"I hate crowds."  
They reached the Chantry with little more than a scared Elf. However, as soon as they stepped in, they noticed something was wrong. There were only soldiers lining the hall, and a very loud argument between Leliana, Cassandra, and Roderick was going on in the room at the far end.  
As soon as the group entered the room, Roderick shouted "Restrain them! I want them all in chains and shipped off to Val Royeaux to face execution!"  
"Belay that order and leave us." said Cassandra. She scowled at Roderick. "We heard the voices at the temple. These five are safe."  
"Which is more than we can say for some others." added Leliana.  
"So the prisoner is not a suspect, but I am?" Roderick snorted.  
"Sucks to be you, don't it?" said Muffy. "But she's got to admit, you benefit more from Divine Justinia's death than any of the five of us."  
There was a loud thud, and everyone turned towards the table. Cassandra had just dropped a very thick book onto it, with several pages sticking out, and a strange hairy eye symbol marked onto the cover.  
"You know what this is." she said, glaring at Chancellor Roderick.  
"The Chantry will not support this!"  
"Divine Justinia left this as instructions for what to do if the Chantry failed." Cassandra took two steps back. "I declare the Inquisition reborn!"  
Chancellor Roderick stormed off out of the room.

A week later, the five mark-bearers were summoned to what was being called the War Room. Over the entrance of the Chantry building flew the banner of the Inquisition. The banner also marked the halls as the group walked down.  
"You're a jumpy one." said Rose.  
Faize sighed. "Sorry if it bothers you."  
"My brother's a hunter, not a fighter." said Obsinion. "He gets nervous in crowds."  
The Qunari pushed the door open, letting them in before following. Cassandra stood there, along with Leliana and two people that were newer.  
"This is Josephine, our Ambassidor." said Cassandra.  
"Hello." The woman was dark-skinned, her raven hair tied back in a nice bun, dressed in a gold and purple short gown. In her hand was a writing board with a candle perched on the end.  
The mark-bearers nodded to her.  
"Who's the cute one with the fur ruff?" asked Rose.  
Muffy groaned.  
"This is Cullen, a former Templar who has decided to join the Inquisition." Cassandra replied.  
"When Cassandra asked, I couldn't refuse. Anything to help get the world back into order." Cullen added.  
"And you all know Leliana, our spymaster."  
"Thankyou for putting it so eloquently." Leliana returned.  
"So, now what?" asked the Qunari.  
"Well, we don't really know all your names." said Cullen.  
"I'm Muffy Paragon. Been surface-side all my life, said my Chant of Light, wanted to one day carve a statuette of Divine Justinia." She shifted from side to side. "I use a really big axe or hammer to hit my enemies."  
"Rose. No last name. I was an assassin. Still am, kinda. I was hired by the Chantry to keep an eye on the Divine."  
"Obsinion, of Clan Levallin. I fight kinda like Cassandra, with a sword and shield. This is my younger twin, Faize, a bowman."  
"Archer." Faize corrected.  
"Same difference. We don't really remember why we were at the Conclave, except that we were sent by our clan leader."  
All eyes fell to the Qunari.  
"Lotus Adaar." she replied. "Saarebas, Tal-Vashoth, all around pain in the Qun's ass. And for the record, I chose the name Lotus. It was better than 'Qunari 2649375-2'."  
"What was that string of numbers?" asked Muffy.  
"We're not named. We have numbers, and are given job titles as our call of address." Lotus replied. "When I ran from the Qun, I took the name Lotus. I like that flower."  
"Uh-huh." said Cassandra.  
"So, what happened at the Breach?" Faize was fiddling with his fingers. He was nervous.  
"The Rift closed, but the Breach is still there. It's stopped growing, which is good for now." said Cassandra.  
"We believe that another attempt may actually close it. But we need more power." added Leliana. "The same power as what caused it."  
"Is that even possible?" asked Rose.  
"With the help of the mages . . ." started Cassandra.  
"Pft. The Templars would be more helpful." said Cullen.  
"Neither faction is talking to us." said Josephine, before the arguing could go further. "And the Chantry has denounced the Inquisition in general, and you five specifically."  
"Not surprised." said Obsinion.  
"That didn't take long." added Muffy.  
"I noticed more people arriving daily. If the Chantry has denounced us, why are they still coming?" asked Faize.  
"People are calling you five 'The Heralds of Andraste'."  
"Better watch my swearing, then." said Rose.  
"We need to spread the Inquisition's influence." said Leliana. "There is a woman out in the Hinterlands, Mother Giselle, who is willing to help us try to address the Chantry."  
"The Hinterlands?" asked Muffy. "I know that area."  
"Good. We need to send at least one of the Heralds of Andraste out to meet with her." added Josephine.  
"It's best if we travel in groups of four." added Cullen. "Too many would likely draw too much attention, given that the Templar and Mage fighting has spread out there."  
"And too few would likely die without anyone's knowledge." added Muffy. "I'll head out that way. Who cares to join me?"  
"Take Varric." said Cassandra.  
"I'll go if your going." said Obsinion. "I'd like to see what I can learn from a fighter like you."  
"It would be better if they had a mage with them." said Lotus. "I'll go."  
"I'm coming, too." said Rose. "We can leave the Elves here for a bit. I think the green one's about to faint."  
Obsinion rolled his eyes and sat his brother down on a bench outside the War Room. "You gonna be alright?"  
No response.  
"Is he always like this?" Cassandra asked.  
"If he gets overwhelmed, yeah. It's a different story entirely if he's overwhelmed and frustrated at the same time." Obsinion sat beside Faize and scratched his head just behind the ear. "Last time that happened, we found him out in a forest shooting bears for the fun of it."  
"For the fun of it?" Cassandra asked. "What happened?"  
"We were a lot warmer that winter." Obsinion replied. "He'd killed a dozen of the huge brutes before one managed to get close enough and swat him. I attacked and took that bear down, then carried him home. The skinners went out, and we had a lot of good bear meat and warm furs to sleep under that winter." He snorted. "His favorite Halla had twins that year."  
Faize sighed. "I'll be fine, Obsinion." he said. In Dalish, he added, _"Go persue your girl."_  
Obsinion just sighed, watching as Cassandra walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Hinterland Hiccup

Muffy and her team arrived in the Hinterlands just before their rickety old mules gave up and fell over. Being the smaller ones, Muffy and Varric tumbled the furthest, all the way down the hill, through the barn, and finishing with their backs on the ground looking up at a horse's arse.  
"Oi, that is not a sight to see after scrambling my brains." Varric sat up and helped Muffy up as well. "So, you said you knew this area, right? Where are we?"  
"Dennet's farm." the female Dwarf replied. "His horses are the best in the all Ferelden, and you won't find many Orlesian breeds that could out-do them, either."  
Rose and Lotus finished sliding down the side for the hill. "If the horses are that good, we should see if we can get some for the Inquisition." said Rose. Her knock-kneed nag's corpse slid down the hill. "These old things are dying, and I'm not looking forward to walking back to Haven."  
Lotus looked up over her book that she was reading. "We're nowhere near the Crossroads where Mother Giselle is." She looked back at her book.  
"What are you reading?" Varric asked. "That's not one of my books."  
"It's on Ice Magic." Lotus replied.  
"Uh-huh, and I'm stepping back now." Rose looked down at her boot. "Ugh, gross."  
"Enjoying the road-apples?" asked a dark-skinned girl. "I'm Selina. I help care for father's horses. You wanna talk to him, he's in the house just up there."  
"Thanks." Muffy led them over towards the house, not noticing that their mage was walking in the wrong direction.  
Lotus thought she was following them. The Human hardly made any sound, and aside from his light banter, neither did Varric. She didn't even realize she'd missed where the others were until she heard a growl. Looking up from her book, Lotus was suddenly forced to put her skills to the test as six or seven large black wolves suddenly came at her.  
Her first defense was to use a lightning spell on the wolves, trying to shock them back some, give her more room. Unlike an archer, once she started casting, she couldn't really move without pausing. The lightning worked, and she bashed the closest wolf in the face with her staff. Casting a fire spell was next on her list, causing an exploding inferno that killed three of them. This left three wolves, and she cast an ice spell, shattering the frozen canines and finishing the job.  
"Where the shite am I?" Lotus asked. "It's all dark and creepy." There was a screech, and a Terror Demon appeared. Out of pure reflex, Lotus cast a fire spell, blasting the creature and stunning it for a moment. She followed up with an ice spell, and the demon died.  
"Phew." She knelt and picked up an amulet the demon had dropped. "Token of the Pack-master. Huh." Looking around, the Qunari sighed. There was no road, only high walls of stone around a mucky packed dirt area. She couldn't even tell where she'd come in from.  
"This isn't good." She looked up. "Hmm." Aiming her staff strait up, she fired off a fire spell, hoping someone out there was looking in the right direction to see it. A dead bird fell beside her. Well, at least the spell hadn't been a total waste.

Rose looked down at her boot. "So, what did he have to say?"  
"The Inquisition gets it's horses after we take care of a few problems. Wolves are attacking, and we need to help put up watchtowers so the roads are safe." Muffy replied. "Hey, where's Lotus?"  
"She was behind us." said Varric.  
Just then, the fire spell sprung up out of a canyon.  
"Bet says she wandered off with her nose in the book." said Rose. "Well, lets go get her."  
As they walked, Muffy scrabbled up a hill and placed a marker. "One tower."  
"What?" asked Rose. "That's not a tower."  
"I know that." Muffy slid down beside them. "It's a marker to build a tower. There's a difference."  
They stepped into the passageway. "Lotus!"  
The Qunari walked over. "Thank the Maker. I was about to go the wrong way."  
"What is that?" asked Varric, pointing to the dead bird in her hand.  
"Lunch." Lotus replied. "See, already barbecued."  
"Nice." said Rose.  
"You cleared out the wolves? Awesome! That's one less thing to do. This way!" Muffy began leading them off down a dirt roadway.  
"She's in a good mood." said Lotus.  
"Dennet said if we can get a few watchtowers up, the Inquisition can get horses." Varric replied. "You know, it must be hard being so tall."  
"Is it hard for you, being so short?"  
"Touche."  
They walked in silence for a while, until Muffy turned off the path and scrabbled up a hill to place another marker. "Two down." she declared as she slid down the steep wall towards them.  
Lotus looked around. There were scorch-marks, and blood spattered on the trees. As she looked around, frost started to travel along a branch next to Rose. She cleared her throat and spun her staff around before letting a blast of fire sail over Varric's head and strike a rebel mage in the distance, turning him into ash. "We're not alone."  
Rose looked over, spotting two renegade Templars heading their way. She seemingly vanished, slipping up behind one and slitting his throat while Varric shot the second one right through the cracked armor and killing him.  
"Well, we make a good team." said Muffy. She practically skipped along the path, making the others wonder if she had all her marbles in the same bag.  
"Well, she's in a good mood." said Varric. "Hey, which one do you think would win in a fight: Cassandra, Josephine, or Leliana?"  
"Cullen's not up for debate?" asked Rose.  
"Curly? They just keep him around to look pretty." Varric defended.  
"Cassandra." said Lotus.  
"Ok, why not Leliana or Josephine?" asked Muffy.  
"Leliana's expertise lies in secrets and espionage, not strait-out fights. In a matter of stealth, she would win. Josephine's battles are in playing the Orlesian Game; bribes, pretty words, and favors. She could talk circles around any of us and put us into eternal servitude before we could even blink if she wanted to, and all just by talking. But Cassandra, she has a warrior's heart, and has seen the rages of war. If it came to a fight on the true battlefield, she would best any and all out there." Lotus returned. "And we've reached the Crossroads."  
"Oh, good." said Muffy. She scrabbled up another cliff wall and placed another marker. Sliding down, she said, "Hey, Rose. Can you message Leliana and ask that some Inquisition guys come out here and help build these things?"  
"My pleasure." Rose wrote the note, sealed it into the message canister on her raven, and set it a-flight.  
Meanwhile, Lotus had found Mother Giselle. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.  
The woman looked up. She was one of the Chantry Mothers, with some age to her, but still plenty of youth as well. Dark skin and a friendly smile greeted Lotus, who felt as though she could relax around the Mother.  
"So you are one of the Heralds of Andraste." she said. "I am Mother Giselle."  
"These people look worn, tired. Are they residents here?"  
"They are refugees from the Mage-Templar War." said Mother Giselle. "They have come to me looking for aid, and where I can, I have helped them."  
"Thank you." Lotus said. "Leliana said that you might be able to help us convince the Chantry to help the Inquisition."  
"Perhaps. You will need to appeal to their sense of honor and duty."  
"Appeal to them?"  
"You don't need to make them all believe you. You just need a few to doubt that the course of action they have taken. Their power is their unified voice. Take that, and you will buy yourselves time to build up the Inquisition."  
"I'm not that good at speaking."  
"If I thought there it wasn't possible, I would not have suggested it."  
"Thank you, Mother Giselle." Lotus sighed. "So, my first question still stands, though. Anything I can do to help ease the suffering?"  
"Actually, you might. Do you know how to make medicine?" asked the Mother.  
"Yeah. I've picked some Elfroot. If I can borrow a mortar and pestle, I can make some basic medicine to help fight off fevers from wounds." Lotus smiled, and a few of the soldiers that sat around, wounded, felt a bit at ease, despite the fact that she was a good head taller than any of them were.  
"Look over at the Qunari." said Varric. "She seems right at home here."  
"Well, she is a Mage." said Rose. "A healer at that, with a few defensive spells to keep from being a burden. And despite her size, I've seen Lotus with the children that accompanied their parents to the Inquisition. She's gentle, and for those that have shown even a small amount of magic skill, she's tried to lend them her books so they can study."  
"Well, we've made contact with Mother Giselle." said Muffy. "We should stick around here for a bit until the troops arrive to build those towers. Then we can help move the refugees and get horses for the Inquisition as well."  
Rose nodded. "Good idea."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Storm Coast Runaway

(At the same time that Lotus got lost in the last chapter)  
Faize leaned back on the rock, putting his hand out to catch the raven that Leliana was trying to teach to pass notes from him to her. The bird flew right over him and landed on Obsinion's head.  
"Huh?" The older Lavellan reached up, and the bird landed on his hand. Taking the note, he sighed and scribbled something down, then sent both bird and note back to Leliana.  
Faize sighed. It had been about a week since the other group had left, and in that time a few more soldiers had appeared. There was also a new mage healer, and a few Templars that had come with Cullen.  
Faize had also noticed a newer soldier that had arrived. A young man in heavy armor, wearing no particular colors. He wasn't a Templar, nor was he a Grey Warden. No, this young man was a mercenary.  
Getting up, Faize walked over. "So, who are you?" he asked.  
"I'm Krem. I'm here on orders from my boss, The Iron Bull. I'm one of his Chargers. He wants to join the Inquisition. If you's interested, he said to meet him down at the Storm Coast."  
"Alright, I'll go meet him." Faize said. "Let me just leave a note for Obsinion and we can be on  
our way."  
"Right. I'll meet you at the stables."  
Moments later, Krem and Faize were off, heading north-east, towards the Storm Coast.

It was raining. It was always raining. That's why it was the Storm Coast. There was always a storm. It still didn't make Faize feel any better about the fact that he was soaked to the skin, Krem leaning on his back getting some rest after a full day and night's hard ride. Just where along this slippery, rocky beach was he supposed to meet The Iron Bull? Who or what was The Iron Bull anyway?  
Krem straitened up and pointed out a fight going on between some mercenaries and Tevinter warriors. "Over there."  
Faize dug his heals into the horse's side, sending them charging in. "Hold this." He handed Krem the reigns.  
"What?" Krem asked, just before the Elf jumped off the horse and fired a series of arrows that killed a Tevinter that was coming for the huge Qunari among the mercenaries. The horse continued it's charge, and Krem lept off just before it jumped the mob of fighters, joining the fray.  
More arrows rained down, and fairly soon only the mercenary group was left standing.  
"Who was shooting?" asked the Qunari.  
"That guy." Krem replied. "He's from the Inquisition."  
"Ah." The Qunari looked at Faize. "Glad you could make it for the fight."  
"Iron Bull?"  
"Yeah, the horns usually give it away." He laughed. "Krem, get the throat-cutters out to take out the last of 'em, then open the casks." Looking back at the Elf in front of him, he added, "Come on."  
"So, Krem said you're looking to join the Inquisition."  
"Yeah. We cost a lot, but we're worth it. And you won't just be getting the Chargers, you'll be getting me, too."  
"That's good to know." said Faize. His large purple eyes looked up at Iron Bull. "My name is Faize, of Clan Lavellan."  
"Got a good aim on you. Oh, and there's something else you should know."  
"What is it?"  
"Have you heard of the Ben-Hassrath?"  
"The Qunari secret service?"  
"Yeah, that's them. Or rather, us."  
"You're a Ben-Hassrath?"  
"Yeah. My higher-ups want me to join the Inquisition. I send them reports back, but I'll also be getting intel from the Ben-Hassrath that I would share."  
"Why tell me?"  
"Well, you'd find out sooner or later. Best to be up-front about these things."  
"Glad to have you on board."  
Iron Bull laughed. "Krem, tell the men they can drink on the road. The Chargers just got hired!"  
"Boss, we just opened the casks. With axes!"  
"Well find a way to close 'em up. You're Tevinter, aren't you? Use blood magic." he grumbled as he headed over to the three wagons the Chargers used to move their supplies.  
Faize looked around. The Chargers were a mix of every species and profession, and yet they seemed to be a well-organized group. "Hope the Inquisition can work together as well as these."  
"Hey, Elf. Get on the wagon." said one of the Chargers.  
Faize quickly clambered up onto one, only to hear a snort beside him.  
"Wanted to ride with the big man, huh?"  
Faize's cheeks reddened a little. He hadn't meant to take a seat next to Iron Bull, but somehow, he'd ended up there. Didn't help he had a weakness for immense strength, as well as he found those large, ox-like horns kinda . . .  
_"No, stop that train of thought right now. You have no idea if he even swings that way."_, Faize admonished himself in Dalish.  
Iron Bull smirked. He wasn't about to let the Elf know quite yet that he understood and could speak Dalish. Or Dwarven. And, naturally, Qunlat. In fact, he knew all the languages, and aside from a slight pronunciation issue, could speak them quite as well as his natural tongue. With a click of his tongue and a snap of the reigns, the wagon started moving along, leading the group.  
"So, how long did it take you to get here? I sent Krem out only five days ago."  
"Day and a half." Faize replied. "We took shifts between who slept and who directed the horse. He dropped me twice."  
Iron Bull looked him over. "What, a breeze catch you or something?"  
Faize snorted back a laugh. "No, tree branch once and the horse slipped the second time. I jumped the third, if you want to count our arrival."  
"You jumped from the horse?" the large Qunari asked.  
"I can aim walking or on the ground. Horseback . . . it's not the same. Everything moves too fast."  
Iron Bull laughed. He could see Faize was nervous, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We don't judge among the Chargers."  
Faize looked up at him and smiled awkwardly. "You won't be saying that we we have to make camp."  
"Why?" Krem asked as he rose his horse up beside the wagon.  
Faize began to wring his hands again. "I . . . can't sleep alone." He swallowed, suddenly getting even more nervous. What had he been thinking, going out without Obsinion?  
"Hey." Iron Bull put his arm around the Elf. "You can bunk with me if it'll help."  
Faize couldn't hide the light blush that covered his face. "Thank you." he said, leaning on the Qunari's well-muscled shoulder.  
After a while, Iron Bull looked over at Krem.  
"He's out." the other replied. "I don't think he slept at all on the way here, despite the shifts."  
"We'll let him rest." Iron Bull's eye fell to the glowing green mark on Faize's left hand, and the way it sparked a bit for a moment. He couldn't help it. If the little creature was willing to try to court him, he figured he'd play along, see if he was really going to go for it or not.

It was three days later that the three wagons rolled into Haven.  
"Faize!" Obsinion came running over. "Where the hell have you been?!"  
The Iron Bull regarded the second Elf with a bit of distaste. So, Faize had been playing him? Fine, he could deal with that.  
"Obsinion. What's the matter?"  
"What's the matter? What's the matter?! You ran away, that's what! We had no idea where you went!"  
Faize blinked at him. "I left you a note in our tent." he said. He felt more than saw Iron Bull walk away. "Dah!" He turned. "Wait!"  
The Qunari looked back, having to turn quite a ways so he could see, given the fact he only had one eye, the right one. "What?"  
"This is my brother, Obsinion."  
The Iron Bull nodded. "The one you called for two nights ago when you had the night-terrors."  
"Yeah, same one. He's my older twin. Obsinion, this is The Iron Bull and his Chargers. They've joined the Inquisition."  
Obsinion looked at Faize and asked in Dalish, _"What's he hiding?"_  
_"Ben-Hassrath ordered him to join, but he willingly told me was one. Obsinion, while the Iquisition is still new and struggling, we're going to need allies we can lean on."_  
_"You bedded him already?"_  
_"NO!"_  
_"Virgin."_  
_"Oi! Look, he wanted to come here, alright. And you really aren't anyone to talk, unless Cassy's spread her legs for you."_  
_"Don't call her that, and no."_ Obsinion sighed and noticed that Iron Bull had an eyebrow raised. "You just understood all that, didn't you?" he asked, not at all amused.  
"Most of it." Iron Bull replied. "So, uh, who's Cassy?"  
"Cassandra is the person who started the Inquisition." Obsinion replied. He looked at Faize. "Ruffles isn't going to be happy about the mercenary."  
"It'll be better than hearing Curly yelling his fool head off at the recruits." Faize returned. He sighed, suddenly grabbing his bow and stalking off.  
Obsinion looked at Iron Bull. "You string him along for the fun of it, and my sword will carve whatever you have for a heart out of your chest, understood?"  
Iron Bull nodded. "Where's he going?"  
"I've made him upset." Obsinion replied. "And frustrated. He's probably heading out to shoot something." He sighed. "I should follow him."  
The elder Lavellan noticed Iron Bull and Krem followed as well, and it was a good thing. Standing on a rock, Faize had managed to pick off about seven or eight Druffalo before the remaining six had started charging.  
Faize took an arrow and closed his eyes, notching it to the string. Clear his mind. Noting but him, the bow, and the target. He raised the bow, focused down the shaft of the arrow.  
"Oh, shite!" shouted Obsinion, suddenly turning away from where he was running as Faize let the arrow fly.  
The snow was splattered red.  
"What the heck?" asked Krem.  
"What was that?" asked Cullen and Cassandra, who had heard Obsinion shout and had run over.  
Faize suddenly fainted, falling against the Qunari.  
"Overdraw." Obsinion replied. "It takes a lot of focus for him to be able to use it, but it's made him one of Clan Lavellan's best hunters."  
Iron Bull picked Faize up like a little princess and carried him back to camp, ordering the rest of the Chargers to go skin and bone the Druffalo, there would be good meat on the table for everyone tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Obsinion's Battle

Muffy was babbling all about what had happened out in the Hinterlands the previous month, talking the ears off of a half-listening collection on people.  
"Muffy, we're trying to discuss something." snapped Obsinion. "You can retell your adventures over dinner or something." He sighed and looked back at the War Table. "You were trying to say, Cullen?"  
"We've lost a group of men out in the Fallow Mire. The place was the sight of a small Fade Rift, as well as it's the home of several walking corpses."  
That was it for Faize, who shook his head quite vigorously. He wasn't going anywhere near the waking dead. He hated corpses, with a passion.  
"Squeamish?" asked Rose. She took a boney stick and tapped him on the shoulder with it when he didn't respond.  
Everyone looked up as the chandelier started to shift.  
"Oi, Lavellan. Get down here." said Lotus.  
Obsinion turned and swiped the stick from Rose, snapping it in half. He frowned at her. "My brother's already got several problems and complexes. Don't make them worse."  
"I can't get down." Faize whimpered.  
Obsinion looked up at his brother and sighed, digging into his pocket and pulling something out. All at once, the other Elf managed to detach himself from the chandelier and was crouched on the floor, nibbling on something like a squirrel on a nut.  
"Do I ask?" Josephine said.  
"Probably not." said the older Lavellan. He sighed. "Faize should be able to handle this one."  
"Hmm?" The crouched Elf looked up, taking the dispatch letter when Leliana handed it to him. "It's from the clan." He read the letter, which was written in Dalish.  
As he was doing that, Obsinion looked at the map, and the pin on it that marked the Fallow Mire. They would need at least one archer and a mage, and Faize was out of the question as their archer, unless someone wanted to carry the frightened creature all the way through. Varric was a better alternative, at least until they could get another rouge in the party. As for a mage, Lotus looked like she would rather be somewhere dry, seeing as how she was once again nose-deep in a study-book she must have rescued from a Circle somewhere. Solas would have to join the party.  
"I'll go." said Obsinion.  
Faize looked up at him. "Do I have to come?" he asked.  
"It's the Fallow Mire. Unless Varric doesn't want to come."  
"Oh, I'll come." said Varric. He pet the side of his crossbow. "Bianca's getting excited."  
"Just, stay in the camp this time." said Cullen. "We had half the camp looking for you when you took off to the Storm Coast."  
"Sorry." He went back to chewing on whatever it was that Obsinion had given him and reading the letter.  
"Who else?" Cassandra asked.  
"Solas and you. Two warriors, a rouge, and a mage. Should work for out there." Obsinion replied.  
"I agree. It will also be good to get out of this camp for a while." Cassandra looked at Obsinion. He'd asked her about herself, and she'd answered truthfully. She'd asked about him, and he'd answered as best he could as well, but she knew there were some things he hadn't shared yet, most of them pertaining to the younger Lavellan.  
"Very well." said Cullen. "If things change here, Leliana will send you word at once."  
The group dispersed, and Faize caught Josephine's arm. "Mind if I borrow your desk for a moment? I need to write a letter back to the clan."  
"Is something wrong?"  
"They think Obsinion and I are being mistreated. I want to put their minds at ease." Faize replied. "Also, the letter mentions a Halla being sent. Where is it?"  
"In with the horses." Josephine replied. "We figured it was something that belonged to one of you, and while the soldiers wanted to eat it, Cassandra and Cullen told them to wait and see if it was actually the property of one of our Heralds."  
"Thank you." Faize sat and began to write, trying to pen out the reply in a way that would tell them they were staying of their own free will, and that all the Elves in the Inquisition were being treated fairly, just like any Dwarf, Human, or Qunari. It was going to take a lot of work.

The Fallow Mire was a rainy, desolate place. Whatever had once served as shelters for people that once lived there were now decrepit piles of wood.  
"It's hard to believe this place used to be a town before the Blight." said Cassandra.  
"It's hard to believe there was anything here before the Blight." Obsinion added. He looked around. It was dark, and smelled of rot and decay. He had the better constitution of the twin Elves, and even he was feeling off and ill here. He stopped and glanced around.  
"Well, the veil is thin here." said Solas.  
Obsinion nodded. "The dock seems to still be in tact." He started across the rickety object. "Oh, it's a bridge. Didn't think they came this . . . WOAH!"  
There was a loud snapping sound, and Obsinion fell through a rotted board, his leg stuck in the planks. As he struggled, something grabbed his leg.  
"KYAH!" Obsinion practically lept back, putting his shield up to keep back whatever had grabbed him.  
From the hole in the bridge, a corpse tried to climb up. Cassandra ended it's attempts with a quick strike of her sword.  
Obsinion felt like a fool. First, he'd fallen through the bridge, then freaked out like his brother about a corpse, only to be saved by Cassandra. Still, he had appreciated it. "Thanks."  
They continued along the walkway, trying to avoid any more contact with the water. When they reached land again, no matter how squishy it was, it was certainly better than trying to avoid falling through the bridge. There was a bit of an incline, and then a stone that stood up, curved slightly like a Dragon's tooth. Attached to this stone was a brazer, different from the kind Obsinion had ever seen before.  
"If you'll allow me." Solas stepped over and lit the lantern, which glowed with a green fire.  
There was a horrifying, earth-shaking shriek that had Cassandra and Obsinion covering their ears. And then, the sloshing sound of corpses, shuffling out of the water.  
"That doesn't sound good." said Varric. He took aim with Bianca and shot one, making it take a new resting place in the murky water.  
Around them, Solas placed a spirit shield, and just in time. A Terror popped up out of the ground, right between Obsinion and Cassandra. It was a good thing for that shield, because the demon tore right through it, and would have torn through Cassandra if Obsinion hadn't suddenly shoved his sword somewhere it shouldn't have gone. The Terror gave a loud shriek and vanished, either too sore or too embarrassed to show it's face again.  
Dead, or rather, re-killed corpses lay around them, several with limbs and such missing, a few torched, and three looking like pincushions.  
"Thanks for that." Cassandra said.  
"For what?" asked the Elf.  
"Taking care of that Demon." Cassandra replied.  
Obsinion lit a torch from the green fire. "Well, I couldn't let it hurt you."  
"Really?" asked the Seeker.  
"Yeah. You're . . . a good fighter. It's be a shame if you were lost, especially in this mucky place."  
Cassandra had had enough discussions with Obsinion, two of those over friendly games of Wicked Grace, to know that this was the Elf's awkward way of saying, 'I didn't want to see you get hurt because you're my friend'.  
"So, we're taking the weird fire with us?" asked Varric. "You're just as crazy as that other Dwarf, Muffy. She wanted to take this green glowy stuff with her, too."  
"It's called Veilfire." Solas informed.  
The group continued, making their way across another rickety bridge to a second stone obelisk. Again, there was a brazer. Cautiously, Obsinion lit the brazer with his torch, and again there was that horrible screech and the sound of sloshing as the dead walked towards them.  
Another Terror, this time it came strait for Obsinion like an evil being possessed. It's boney claws came for the Elf's unprotected back, since he was fighting off a pair of corpses that were clinging to his shield.  
Cassandra came charging at the Demon, slashing it and taking it down. "Is everyone alright?" she asked, once the fighting had stopped.  
"I'm good over hear." called Varric, kicking a corpse hand off his boot.  
"Here as well." Solas replied.  
"I'm good." said Obsinion, but his voice betrayed a bit of pain.  
"Obsinion, are you hurt?" Cassandra asked.  
"Seeker, showing compassion for an Elf? That's new." said Varric.  
"He is the leader of this expedition. If we loose him, I don't know how to handle his brother, or Clan Lavellan, giving them the news."  
Obsinion smirked a little. "It's just a scratch. I'll be good."  
The pathway continued for two more bridges and two more obelisks, each of which summoned another Terror and several undead each.  
"Obsinion, are you sure you're alright?" asked Varric as they headed across the rocky part of the terrain towards a castle.  
"Why do you . . . What the heck? There's hundreds of corpses!"  
"There are too many of them! Run for the castle!" shouted Cassandra. As they ran, she saw the reason for Varric's question. Obsinion had several blood marks down his armor, and there was a gash in the back of it as well. After they all passed through the gate, she kicked the jammed gate-chain, and the metal device came slamming down, separating them from the corpses outside.  
"Come on." said Obsinion.  
"Your armor." said Cassandra. "It's damaged."  
"I can still fight." Obsinion replied. He tried to put on a brave face, but somehow, Cassandra could tell. He was worn, fatigued, and injured, but still wanted to see if there was any hope in saving the squad that had been lost out in this desolate area. As they followed the path, Obsinion gripped his shield arm near the shoulder and tried to work the strain out. He was having a hard time holding his shield up, and he knew it was probably showing. Taking the sash-belt from his armor, Obsinion quickly tied his arm so the shield was in the proper place to defend. The pain was just something he was going to have to tough out.  
There was laughter. Obsinion frowned.  
"So, this pathetic knife-ear is the famed leader of the Inquisition?"  
"When did we decide I was the leader?" the Elf asked. "Because I never got that memo."  
Standing before them was an Avvar. A powerful Avvar, from the look of him.  
"I challenge you and your 'Maker' with myself and my gods!" He came charging at Obsinion, taking three of Varric's arrows to the arm before turning to charge at the Dwarf.  
Obsinion saw this as his chance and charged at the Avvar, jumping quite nimbly and slashing. There was a large spray of blood, and the Avvar's head went rolling. He was dead, and the Inquisition had won.  
However, Obsinion's landing wasn't as great as his defeat of the Avvar. He landed on the body, which had been upright for a moment, still spraying blood. He slammed into said body, falling with it to the ground. Slick blood coated the wall, and much of his armor as he stood up, holding a key he'd managed to get off the body as he'd pushed it away.  
"They're over here." said Solas. He took the key from Obsinion and unlocked the door.  
Inside, a dozen Inquisition soldiers sat, wounded, starved, but alive. Many of them cheered when they saw Obsinion was with Cassandra, that the Inquisition had come for them. That one of the Heralds of Andraste had come for them.  
It was then that Obsinion's wounds and the tension caught up to him, and he slumped against the wall, suddenly tired.  
"Obsinion?" asked Cassandra.  
"I'm alright." he said. "Just relieved they're alive." He sighed. "We'll wait until daylight, then leave."  
"A good idea." said Solas.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Upon Return to Haven

Faize pet the white creature standing in the horse pen. His Halla, she was a fine creature just tall enough that if he'd wanted to he could ride her, but small enough to be able to share the pen with the Dalish horse that stood with it.  
"So, what's this thing?" Iron Bull asked.  
"Hmm? Oh, this is a Halla." Faize replied. "In particular, she's my pet. Getting on in years, she's really no good to the heard that the clan keeps as far as milk goes. As far as wisdom, though . . ."  
"It talks to you?" Iron Bull asked.  
"Not really. It's just the older ones keep the younger ones in the heard. Kind of a 'see and do' thing. It's how we've always raised Halla." Faize looked up as Iron Bull reached over and gently pet the white creature between the horns. "She likes you."  
"You know, Qunari don't really have pets. Well, unless you count mages, but I don't. I count that as indentured servitude."  
Faize nodded. "Umm, sorry."  
"About what?"  
"The last three weeks. I keep . . . keep going to your tent. Every night." He sighed. "I've heard the others. They say the only reason you came was because I bed you." He started to shake, and tried to wipe his nose on the back of his hand. "I just . . . Ir abelas. (I'm sorry)." He turned and headed into the Chantry building.  
Iron Bull stood there for a moment.  
"Going after him, Boss?" asked Krem.  
"Not sure." the Quinari replied. He turned and pet the Halla again. "What do you think I should do?"  
"Why are you near my brother's Halla?"  
Iron Bull looked up, spotting Obsinion right away. "We were talking."  
"You were talking to the Halla?" Obsinion put his horse in it's pen. "Why do I doubt that?"  
"Actually, I was asking the Halla." Iron Bull returned. "But before that I was talking with Faize." He looked Obsinion over. "You may want to tell the men I did not join simply for you're brother's ass."  
"Why would they get that idea?" Obsinion asked as he walked towards the Chantry building. He massaged his shoulder, which was tightly bandaged.  
"You know how he gets night-terrors." said the Qunari. "You weren't here. Put two and two together."  
"He went to you." The elder Lavellan sighed. "I'll talk to Cullen about it."  
As they stepped into the Chantry, they could hear a heated argument, probably still in it's beginning stages, getting louder, and sprinkled with a few Dalish curses.  
"That does not sound good." said Cassandra.  
Obsinion pushed open the side door, letting the words be heard clearly to those outside.  
". . . I am not bedding him, you flat-eared Shemlen prick!" Faize snapped.  
"Really? Then stay in your own damned tent!" Cullen barked back.  
"Would you stay if you had night-terrors as bad as I do?" Faize snapped. "It's not like I can go crawl in with Ruffles or something. She's already got a partner!"  
That was it, and Cullen went to strike Faize, when a hand caught his wrist. A large, grey-ish skinned hand belonging to the biggest man in the camp.  
"You know, Cullen, there are other reasons to share a bed than just sex." said the Qunari. "Faize get's night-terrors, some bad enough to require the comfort of another he feels can protect him. You should be glad he's decided to do something about it, rather than wake the whole of Haven screaming like a child."  
Cullen pulled his arm from the mercenary's grasp. "This is coming from the same man whom others brag about bedding."  
Faize looked at Iron Bull. "Is this true?"  
"They never bedded me." Iron Bull replied, looking at Faize. "Bedding and relieving tension are two different things to a Qunari. Bedding is to create offspring or an act done with one you share a heart with. Popping your cork is just that, tension relief." He looked at Cullen. "And you're one to talk, Mister I-Sleep-With-Rose."  
That was it, and Cullen was out of the room.  
"Rose is bedding Curly?" asked Obsinion.  
"They've gotten pretty close in just three weeks." Iron Bull replied. "Plus, his tent is next to mine. I could hear the moaning all last night, and human females don't make that noise or ask those things of a man they aren't sleeping with."  
"Oh." Faize's cheeks turned a darker shade of pink. He'd heard those things, too.  
"One question." said Cassandra. "Who is Ruffles?"  
There was silence a moment, and then the twin Elves burst out laughing.  
"I don't see what's so funny." Cassandra said, frowning.  
"It's Josephine." said Obsinion, catching himself on the wall and finally able to speak. "It's basically in reference to the ruffled sleeves on her dress. Besides, it's easier than saying, Madame Ambassador Josephine Montiv-whatever her last name is."  
Cassandra snickered. "True, but Josephine works just as well when addressing her."  
"She's heard us say it enough." said Faize. "It's like a nickname, now."  
"Did I end up with one?" Cassandra asked.  
"Seeker. Muffy called you Frowny-face once." said Faize. "One of the soldiers called you Obsinion's bitch, but I flattened him for that."  
"Thank you." Cassandra said.  
"Ma serannas(Thank you)." said Obsinion. "Did you send the letter, Faize?"  
"Yes." Faize began to wring his hands again, looking away.  
"What is it?"  
"They wrote back." He started to wring his hands harder.  
"Faize, look at me." Obsinion put his hand on his brother's shoulder, and Faize looked him in the eyes. "What did they say?"  
"They said that the Inquisition is wrong, that it'll only enslave us. That if we continue to work with them, they will have nothing to do with us. They didn't . . . believe my letter."  
Obsinion held Faize close. "It's ok. As long as we have each other, it'll be alright." He could hear Faize's sniffles, even as he tried to hide the unshed tears in his own eyes. "Who wrote it?"  
"The . . . hahren(Elder)." Faize replied. He was shaking now as well.  
"Then you don't need to be scared anymore. If he wants to wash his hands of us, fine." Obsinion held Faize at arms length again. "It's not like we were ever welcome there, anyway."  
Faize nodded. "Um, Nightingale said we should meet in the War Room when you got back."  
"Nightingale?" the elder Elf asked.  
"Sorry, Leliana." Faize corrected. "I found out by accident about the other name." He seemed to be nervous. It wouldn't so any good for there to be another fight between him and Cullen right now, or for Rose to poke fun at him during the meeting.  
Still, everyone gathered.  
"So, how did it go?" asked Leliana.  
"They should be here within the week." said Obsinion. He hissed and held his shoulder as Lotus bumped into him.  
"Sorry." said the Qunari.  
Rose poked at Faize, only for the other to turn and slap her cheek.  
"Sorry." Faize said, his one hand coming up to have the central knuckle bitten.  
"Don't be." said Rose, rubbing her reddened face. "I was asking for that one. Just wanted to know if you were alright. You look upset."  
"Clan Lavellan has all but disowned us." said Obsinion. Under his breath, he added in Dalish _"Wouldn't be the first clan to do that."_  
Íron Bull raised an eyebrow, but remained by the door with Cassandra, Varric, and Solas. He looked over as a man, dressed in unique armor, took a place on the opposite side of the door.  
"We've managed to get another new recruit that will be able to travel with any of you out in the field." said Leliana. "This is Blackwall, a Grey Warden."  
Everyone nodded to the man against the wall.  
"Now then, to business." said Josephine. "The Chantry is asking for the Heralds of Andraste to come to Val Royeaux, to answer. For what, we're not sure, but this may be an opportunity to try and get them to understand what we are fighting for."  
"All five of us?" asked Lotus. "We'd be going alone?"  
"No." said Leliana. "A small group of my agents will go ahead, and each of you may take an Inquisition soldier, whomever that may be, to help guard you."  
Obsinion nodded. "How soon do we leave?" He grunted and held his shoulder again.  
"After you see the healers about that wound. Tomorrow is probably best." Josephine replied.  
The collection of various species left the War Room, each to prepare for the travel from Haven to Val Royeaux.  
"So, Obsinion." said Cassandra as she walked with him to the healers. "How is your shoulder?"  
"It stings." he replied, after checking around for his brother. He sat on the bench outside the room where the healers were, motioning for Cassandra to sit with him.  
"You added something in Dalish after saying Clan Lavellan had all but disowned you. What was it?"  
Obsinion sighed. "Clan Lavellan isn't where Faize and I were born." He sighed as one of the healers came out, and pulled his armor off so they could check the wound. "I'm not even sure what clan we came from, but the marks on our faces are not Lavellan. At least, Faize's aren't. The additions to mine do mark me as Lavellan. I did it to try and make it easier on him."  
"You care for your brother."  
Obsinion sighed. "I still couldn't save him." He rested his chin on the backs of his laced together fingers, elbows balanced on his knees.  
"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked.  
"I'm not really sure what happened." Obsinion said. "But there were several times where I'd find Faize lying in the grass, unconscious. He started getting night-terrors. At first, he'd shy away from me, huddle himself in a ball. Days and nights awake, until exhaustion would take him into dreamless sleep. Finally, I'd had enough. I began to hold him those nights, let him know I'd try to protect him. He started to stay with me, in my bed-roll, just to have the comfort of someone there when the night-terrors came. It got to the point where he couldn't sleep alone anymore." He sighed. "It was always worst the nights after I would find him, sprawled on the grass like he'd been discarded or tossed aside. I did figure out it had something to do with Elder, though. That was about it."  
"Sounds like the Elder was abusing him." said Cassandra.  
"I think so, too. Faize was more than willing to take the job of going to the Conclave when it was brought up, and insisted I come along with him." Obsinion glanced back at the healer. "So how bad is it?"  
"What did you use on this?" the healer asked. "It's actually healing quite well."  
"Elfroot, bit of Spindleweed, bound up in Rashvine." Obsinion replied. "Dalish healing pack, basically."  
"You should show us how to make it." the healer said. "It would help any wounded that come to us."  
"Sure." He shrugged his tunic and armor back over, looking back at Cassandra. "So, you want to travel with us to Val Royeaux?"

Muffy scratched her head. "So, I picked Varric, and you took Solas, why?"  
"Mage." was all Lotus said. "He has knowledge I can learn from. I was never really in a circle, only learned from old study books some of the younger mages gave me, and a few books I found on those dead Apostates. It's not like we could do anything romantic, anyway. He's a die-hard Elf-lover. I'd have to be a good foot and a half, two feet shorter, a lot paler, and less horns to get him romantically."  
"Ok, ok. We all know why Rose is bringing Curly."  
"His name is Cullen." Rose replied. "And seriously. With the Bull's Chargers helping the men with their fighting practice, it's a good idea to get him out of Haven for a while."  
Obsinion walked over, Cassandra following.  
"And Lavellan has the Seeker." said Varric.  
"Looks like were all ready." said Rose as she climbed up into the wagon. She looked over at Obsinion, who was sitting on the driving bench. "Why aren't we going?"  
"Go on ahead." called a gentle voice. "We're taking the horse."  
"Ok." said Obsinion. He clicked his tongue, and they started off.  
"Oh, yeah. Forgot about the other Elf." said Muffy. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head, though, when she saw the huge horse that came up behind them. "What the heck is that?!"  
Obsinion looked back. "Taslin Strider. Looks like Dennet got us a big enough one." He grinned as he turned back to watch where he was driving. "And it looks like they both fit on it."  
Cassandra turned to look. "Where is your brother?"  
"Woo!" The horse took off past them, and the skinny little Elf clinging to Iron Bull's back seemed to be enjoying the ride.  
"See you in Val Royeaux." called Obsinion. He shook his head. "Hope they remember we have the tent supplies."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Val Royeaux

"These are some damned weird statues." said Muffy as the group walked into Val Royeaux.  
"Upon meeting a low door-frame." read Faize. He looked up at the statue. "I don't get it."  
Cassandra sighed, shaking her head. "The things vandals write." she groaned.  
Faize seemed to have found another one. "When his headache got to much for him." He looked up again. "Looks the same as the last one."  
Obsinion grabbed him by the arm. "Stay with the rest of us." he said.  
"Sorry."  
"Honestly, not the best statues I've seen." said Rose.  
"Likewise, but then again, these were probably crafted by humans, not Dwarves." Muffy replied. "Still, not bad, though."  
Iron Bull sniffed. "What is that smell?"  
By this time, they were halfway down the entry corridor, and even Obsinion and Faize were wrinkling their noses.  
"Smells like piss." said Lotus. "Let's get into the city."  
The rest of the group nodded and finished the walk in relative silence.  
"They're staring." Faize whimpered.  
"Who wouldn't?" asked Varric. "We're a pair of Dwarves, two Qunari, three Elves, and three Humans. You'd have to be blind not to see us coming from the Frostbacks."  
"They can see that far?" Faize asked.  
Obsinion face-palmed. "No, Faize. It's a figure of speech."  
"Oh." Faize snickered. "Though Leliana will know we're on our way back before we see Haven."  
"Touche." said Obsinion. They continued around the central tower of Val Royeaux to where one of the Chantry's Revered Mothers was addressing a gathered crowd.  
"And what are you?" she demanded.  
"The Heralds of Andraste, as requested." replied Lotus. She tapped her staff on the ground. "And you are?"  
Mother Hevara." she returned. "Is not even one Herald here a Human, or all of you sub-species the only things they could send?"  
"Hey!" snapped Muffy, pushing her way to the front. "I say my Chant of Light, bitch. It's the Chantry that turned it's back on the Inquisition, even though it's a written directive from Divine Justinia herself."  
"Yeah, and for your information, there's a big hole in the sky." added Rose. "So this crap about the Inquisition not being worth anything? We're the only one's trying to fix the mess." She glared at the scowl on Mother Hevara's face. "I'm Human, thank you."  
Just then, the crowd seemed to part for another group.  
"Lord Seeker Lucien." said Cassandra.  
The man only sneered at her as he led a group of Templars towards the Mother. One of the Templars pushed her aside, into the crowd. Whether it was a good thing or not, it was Faize she fell on, and they both hit the ground.  
"This is the pathetic Inquisition?" Lucien sneered. "The Chantry isn't deserving of our protection. Come, Templars." With that, he left the city, taking the dozen soldiers with him.  
"Sorry." said Faize, helping Hevara up. "But, we are trying to make things better. To end the fighting."  
"Then I will pray for your success." she said.  
"Well, that didn't turn out quite the way we hoped." said Cullen.  
"While we're here, is it alright if we look around?" asked Muffy. "I haven't been back here in a while."  
"Why not." said Cassandra. "A bit of shopping might be good. We need to resupply before we head back to Haven, anyway."  
"Just stick in your pairs." Obsinion said, more to his brother than anyone else.  
Iron Bull put his hand on Faize's shoulder. "Sure thing, Boss." He smirked and headed off with Faize.  
Rose sighed, taking Cullen's hand. "Coming?" she asked, dragging him towards a shop of frilly things.  
Muffy and Varric snickered. "So, people-watching?" Muffy asked.  
"Sounds good." said Varric. "I know a nice terrace we can do that from."  
Lotus shifted. "I think I'll wait by the entrance."  
"A good choice." agreed Solas. "We can discuss things a bit more freely."  
Obsinion sighed. "Coming?" he asked Cassandra.  
She nodded, and the pair started along behind the small stage where Mother Hevara had been talking only a few moments before.  
"Excuse me." said an Elf.  
"Hmm? Yes." asked Obsinion.  
"I am from the Mages of Redcliff. We would welcome an audience with the Heralds of Andraste, at Redcliff, in the Hinterlands." she said.  
"Thankyou." said Obsinion. He looked over at Cassandra. "We'll, the Mages are willing to talk. That's something, now, isn't it?"  
"It was worth coming, then." Cassandra agreed. They turned again when there was a shout out in the courtyard, but they had already walked along the path far enough that they couldn't see what was going on.  
"I beg your pardon." said a servant.  
"Yes?" asked Obsinion.  
"An invitation from First Enchantress Vivienne, to a party at her salon." said the servant, handing Cassandra the invitation. "I must be going."  
Cassandra turned the invitation over in her hands. "The First Enchantress? Wonder what she wants."  
"Well, we might as well go see." Obsinion said. "We're heading in the right direction."

Meanwhile, Faize and Iron Bull were tracking down a red scarf. With a key on it. The first note had been tied to an arrow, and had said simply 'Follow Red to help. the Friends of Red Jenny.' The handwriting was terrible, and the doodled map was vague at best. Still, they'd managed to find one. Now, they were down by the docks.  
"Ugh. I hate the smell of fish." said Faize. He looked around. There, stuffed in the mouth of a fish, was another red scarf. He pulled it out. "Ugh." There was another note, thankfully dry because the scarf had been around it.  
"So, we find the last one?" Iron Bull asked. He didn't mind the search. It was the stares. If they got any worse, he knew Faize was going to start fidgeting.  
"Why not. We've come this far." Faize sighed. "Are you bored of this, Bull?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"Did I say something wrong?"  
"You shortened my name." the Quinari observed.  
"Sorry."  
"No, it's alright. I don't mind, not from you."  
Faize seemed a bit more hopeful as the unlikely pair searched for the last scarf. They found it . . . under Varric's ass.  
"Woah!" the Dwarf cried as Iron Bull picked him up and took the scarf. "What was that about?"  
"Well, there was this note on an arrow, and we've been looking for these." said Faize. "Huh?" He shifted the pages around a bit.  
"Hey look." said Muffy. "A place, a time, and a key." She looked up at them. "Can we come along?"  
"Don't see why not." said Faize. "Besides, it's still here in Val Royeaux, so the others can't get upset about us wandering off."

"I feel so under-dressed." said Obsinion as they stepped into the salon. There were several Marquis, duchesses, and dukes around, and even Cassandra was doubting her own dress, which was still her armor.  
"Well well well." said a Marquis. "If it isn't the Dalish bastard playing at Inquisition."  
"This isn't some game." Obsinion returned. If it was anything, he knew how to defend with words as well as weapons.  
"You parade around, pretending that your going to, what exactly? Fix the sky? Solve the problems of the world? Pha! Go back to your deer-herding, Knife-ear."  
"Firstly, they're called Halla. And secondly, yes, we intend to mend the Breach and hopefully stop the Mage-Templar war before it can reach Orlais."  
Well said, thought Cassandra.  
"You're nothing but a stupid . . ." The Marquis never finished his words, as he was suddenly frozen in place.  
"Now, now, Darling. That's no way to speak to one of the Heralds of Andraste." came a soothing voice. A woman dressed in a white and silver Orlesian Mages gown came down the steps. Her skin was dark, yet seemed to have a glow to it as well. "I am Madame de Fer, First Enchantress Vivienne."  
"Pleasure to meet you." said Obsinion. He bowed slightly at the waist.  
"The pleasure is all mine." said Vivienne. "Now then, what should be done with this rude fellow?"  
"Let him go. It's not like he can do me any real harm." the Elf replied. "And anything he does say about the Inquisition will only spread it's name around to others."  
"Very well." Vivienne let the man go, and he scurried off like a mouse being chased like a cat. "Now then, to the point, Darling."  
Cassandra frowned, wondering what Vivienne was going to try and do.  
"As the leader of the last Loyal Mages of Orlais, I feel it's only right to add my skills and abilities to the Inquisition."  
Obsinion blinked for a moment. "You wish to join?" he asked.  
"Of course, dear. If nothing is done about the hole in the sky, then nothing will be done about the Mage-Templar War. We need the Circles, dear boy, in order to properly teach one the ways of Magic. And those can't be utilized or protected without the Templars. And in order to get it all to work properly, as it should, when the time comes to put the Circle's back in order, you're going to need me."  
Obsinion could see she'd just talked several circles around him, and he wasn't going to get out of this, even if he wanted to. Having the First Enchantress of Orlais with the Inquisition would definitely help. "Welcome aboard." he said, carefully taking her dark hand in his pale one and placing a light kiss upon her fingers.  
"A gentleman, how sweet." said Vivienne. She looked at Casandra. "Take good care of him, Darling. I shall meet you in Haven."  
Cassandra wasn't sure, but she felt she might be blushing. This was confirmed when Obsinion looked at her curiously, then nervously took her by the hand as they walked out of the salon. "Well, that went well."  
"She talked circles around me, and there was no way possible to back out of it, if we had wanted to." Obsinion replied. "But I'm glad someone out here knows what's important."  
"Same here." agreed Cassandra.

"This is some rich shite's place." said Muffy.  
"What are you doing here?" asked a stuffy Marquis, his mercenary guards with him, about a dozen strong.  
"Go on!" came a voice. "Just say 'what'."  
"What do you . . !" An arrow stuck in the Marquis face.  
"Dumb-arse nobles, always trying to get more. You lot heard me. I said' just say what', didn't I? But no, he had to come out and try to go all 'oh, look at me, big noble, blah, blah, blah, I've got an arrow in the face'."  
Standing there was a pale as moonlight Elf, her hair tied back some and scraggly blonde otherwise. "Well, come on. The mercs are comin'." She set another arrow on string and fired.  
It didn't take long before the mercenaries were gone.  
"Well, that's the lot of 'em." the Elf said.  
"Who was this?" asked Muffy.  
"Some corrupt mucketty-muck. Been keepin' my eye on 'im for a whiles, now. So, you're them. The Heralds of Andraste? I mean, you glow, right, so you gots to be them." She suddenly frowned. "And one of you's an Elf. Well, hope your not too Elfy."  
"Elfy?" asked Faize. "Aren't you an Elf?"  
"I'm Elf as much as you's a Dwarf." she replied. "So, introduction. I'm one name, well, two. Well, it's like this. There one name, Sera. That's me, who I am. Then there's also the Friends of Red Jenny, out there. Also me, kinda. There one in Kirkwall. Two in Redcliff, siblings, I thinks. But, anyway, we's out there, doing stuff to stop the corrupt."  
"And?" asked Muffy, noticing that Sera was talking more to her than Faize anyway.  
"Well, I wants to help. I mean, there it is, a big hole in the sky, clear as day, and these blokes are still trying to find pocket change to buy a horse." Sera said. "I want the world fixed up, like it used to be. So I can gets back to work, like."  
"Welcome to the Inquisition." said Muffy.  
"Great. I'll sees you all in Haven. That is were you am, right?"  
"That's right." Muffy replied. They turned and headed out. "Well, wonder what the others got."  
"I don't think they can top another helper for the Inquisition." said Faize. He nearly jumped out of his skin as something snapped behind them.  
"I've got you." said Iron Bull, putting an arm around Faize. He looked back. "Hey, Obsinion, Cassandra."  
"What are you four doing out here?" asked Cassandra.  
"Just recruited someone." Muffy replied. "You two?"  
"Same." said Obsinion.  
"Oh, this is going to be good." said Varric. "Still, it's getting late. We'll talk more around the camp or on the way home."  
"Good idea." said Iron Bull, hefting Faize up into the crook of his arm. He felt the Elf get heavier and sighed. "He sleeps on a ridged schedule, doesn't he?"  
"Pretty close." Obsinion replied. He saw Faize's relaxed face and smiled. "At least he seems happy."  
The Qunari pretended not to have heard that, but in his heart, he was glad.

"Care to explain?" asked Leliana.  
"About what?" everyone practically asked. Aside from the wagon having come back full of much-needed supplies, there had been another mode of transport there as well. A carriage, open top, with a pair of very well-kept Orlesian horses pulling it.  
"This." Leliana pointed to the blonde Elf standing in the corner, picking her nose.  
"Oh, that's Sera." said Muffy. "I sent you a message saying she was coming. The non-Elfy Elf."  
Leliana sighed. "And Orlais' First Enchantress?"  
"She offered." was all Obsinion could say. "And besides, with both her magical knowledge and her connections to the Orlesian Courts, word of the Inquisition, as well as support for it, is bound to increase."  
"He does have a point." said Josephine. "Also, messages from both the Mages in Redcliff and the Templars in Therinfal Redoubt. They would like to meet, but have eyes on the other party. As soon as even one Herald of Andraste sets foot into one of the areas, the other side will not see anyone."  
"So, we have to choose between the Templars or the Mages." said Obsinion.  
"Why don't we put it to vote?" suggested Faize. "I mean, in either case, they are asking for at least one Herald of Andraste."  
"A good and sound idea." agreed Rose.  
"Templars." said Lotus. "As much as being free to study and practice my magic has helped, a place where I can be supervised to learn would be a bit more ideal. The Templars would be able to help re-instate the Circles."  
"Templar." said Obsinion.  
"Mages." said Muffy. "Those Templars were way out of hand at Val Royeaux."  
"Mages." said Rose, looking at Cullen. "They can provide the power needed to close the Breach."  
All eyes turned on Faize, the one to have suggested this. He swallowed. "Templars. The one Templar in Val Royeaux seemed upset that Mother Hevara was pushed around like a rag doll. If there are others like him, I'd like to at least try to get them to join the Inquisition."  
"Very well. I will send word to the Noble Houses of Orlais. " said Josephine.  
"Why the Noble Houses?" asked Obsinion.  
"One person, or even five, are easy to ignore." Josephine explained. "But, have a number of Nobles backing you, and suddenly you become a force to be reckoned with."  
"Well, I'm not going." said Rose.  
"Me neither." added Muffy.  
"It's on the Elves." said Lotus. "As a Mage, they'd skin me before I even said something. Sorry, guys."  
Obsinion looked at Faize. "Looks like we're headed to Therinfal Redoubt."  
Faize shook his head. "Not us. Only I'm going."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Therinfal Doubt

"What do you mean?" Obsinion asked.  
"I'm saying you stay here. I chose this path, I should be the one to go talk to the Templars."  
"But Faize . . ."  
"Please? I want to prove I won't be a burden on the Inquisition." Faize smiled at his brother, but it was only half-hearted. He was still scared.  
Obsinion could see it meant something to Faize to do this, though. "Who do you want to go with you?" he asked.  
"Iron Bull."  
"Given." Cullen muttered, only for Josephine to elbow him.  
"You said she's a mage?"  
"Who?" asked Leliana.  
"Vivienne."  
"Yes." said Obsinion.  
"Well, then her."  
"You still need another person." Cullen pointed out.  
"Blackwall." Faize finished. "That good enough?"  
"Yeah." said Obsinion. "Just be careful, ok?"  
Faize nodded. "I'll do my best to bring the Templars back with me."

Ten Orlesian Noble Houses were all Josephine could come up with, but it was better than nothing. It made the Inquisition look important, that was the main thing.  
"You must be the Herald of Andraste they sent." said a stuffy-looking man wearing a mask.  
"And you are?" asked Faize. He hated not seeing the noble's face, but it granted the ability to imagine something resembling a Nug on the other side of the golden object to try and keep his nerves about him.  
"Lord Abernache, one of the Noble Houses of Orlais. I see that you have at least some standing, if the First Enchantress is being seen with you." the pompous man said.  
"Hello, Darling." said Vivienne. "Be a good dear and walk with us."  
Faize was tempted to roll his eyes, but merely sighed softly and kept walking.  
"Quite a show of authority, getting this many houses to come in such short notice." said Lord Abernache.  
Faize clenched and unclenched his hands several times in order to not punch the man in the face, his nasally voice and snobbish attitude already grating his simple Elven nerves.  
"But the Lord Seeker won't speak to any of us of Noble Birth until he's spoken with the Inquisition." the Lord said. "Of all the nerve."  
"Darling, you must remember. In this case, the Noble Houses are here to make the Inquisition look good so the Templars may join us to close the hole the sky." reminded Vivienne.  
Beside Faize, Iron Bull rolled his eye. All the way there, Vivienne had complained about his slouching, his attire, his speech. It was enough to make the Qunari walk the last mile, and take their Herald of Andraste with him, given the Elf's frayed nerves at the time.  
Blackwall just kept silent, observing. He was good at that. As a Grey Warden, he was used to just fitting in the background, only stepping into the fray when needed. And this was one of those step-back-and-watch times.  
A young Templar walked over to meet them at the gate. "Knight-Templar Barris." he said. "I was asked to come meet you."  
"Knight-Templar? That's a fairly low position. And Barris, the second son of the noble house? What are they trying to do, if not mock us?" scoffed Lord Abernache.  
"Good to meet you." said Faize. He liked this Templar. He was the one that seemed offended back in Val Royeaux when Mother Hevara had been pushed aside. "I'm Faize, of Clan Lavellan, and one of the Heralds of Andraste. This is First Enchantress Vivienne du Fer, Blackwall of the Grey Wardens, and The Iron Bull."  
Barris nodded. "This way."  
Iron Bull looked around the courtyard as they walked in, having to duck to get through the door, or risk bashing his horns into the brickwork. "Impressive." he said.  
"The Lord Seeker at first refused to see the Inquisition at all. Then, all at once, your Noble friends started arriving, and he wanted to speak to you. It was like a sudden change, and it unnerves me." Barris told them. He paused at three flags, each controlled by one of three wheels. "Um, but first, there is a ritual the Lord Seeker would like you to fulfill."  
"And that is?" asked Faize.  
"A waste of time!" snapped Abernache.  
Vivienne glared at him, and he shut up.  
"There are three standards, each representing the Templar Order, Andraste, and the People. You may raise them however you like, with the highest being the one you honor most."  
Faize looked at the three standards. Of the three, he honored the People most, and then Andraste, even if she was the reason many of his people were slaves. She had united all, or at least most, of Thedas. So that was how he raised the Standards. With the People first, and then Andraste, leaving the Templar standard where it was.  
"It is customary now to reveal why you raised them in the order you did." said Barris.  
"I do what I'm doing for the people. Nothing's going to get better for them as long as the Breach exists." Faize replied.  
"If it wasn't to impress the Lord Seeker, I see no point."  
"And that's why he didn't ask you to do it." said Vivienne. "He wanted the Inquisition's true opinion."  
Abernache snorted. "Well, Barris. Take us to the Lord Seeker."

"I shouldn't have let him go alone." said Obsinion as he paced back and forth near the stable.  
The horse and the Halla watched him go back and forth, one wondering what the Elf was doing, and the other wondering why it wasn't getting fed or petted.  
"He didn't really give you a choice." said Cassandra, who was also watching him pace.  
"I know, but . . . he's my little brother. What if something happens to him?"  
"You can't protect him forever." Cassandra reminded him. "We did the best we could, sending the Noble Houses, and he chose his team. If anything, the Iron Bull won't let anyone hurt him."  
Obsinion paused. "That's true." he said.  
"Sit, before you make the animals dizzy with your pacing." Cassandra said, petting the bench beside her.  
Obsinion sat, sighing again. "I wonder if he was nervous like this when I left Haven with you, Solas, and Varric to go to the Fallow Mire."  
"We can only speculate." Cassandra answered.  
"By the way." said Obsinion. "Do you have any family?"  
"An Uncle." Cassandra replied. "He spends more of his time with his corpses than he ever did with me."  
"A Necromancer?"  
"Close. Mortalitasi."  
"So, no parents?"  
"They chose the wrong side of a political war, and were beheaded. The king spared my brother and I because we were family, and very young at the time."  
"You have a brother?"  
"Had." Cassandra replied. "Anthony. A true Pentaghast, he hunted Dragons. Said he would teach me one day, and we would go hunting them together, brother and sister, like the Pentaghasts of old. But he died."  
"Sorry." Obsinion said.  
"You didn't kill him. Somebody wanted Dragons blood for some sort of ritual, and he said no. They killed him, in front of me." She sighed. "I sometimes wonder what would have happened had Anthony lived? Would I still have become a Seeker? Or would I be married to some noble, a mother of three?"  
"You want kids?" asked Obsinion, suddenly covering his mouth.  
Cassandra laughed. 'Maybe when this is all over." she said. "I do not know." She couldn't hide the light blush on her cheeks though, knowing Obsinion was flirting with her the way he was. Had he really just asked her if she wanted kids? He'd made it sound like he was going to propose.  
Obsinion tried to hide his smile, but it didn't work. "If my opinion means anything, I think you'd make a great mother."  
That was it, and Cassandra pushed him off the end of the bench. "Flirt." she accused, and they both ended up laughing.

Faize led his group through the castle. The Templars had turned on them. Well, not all the Templars, but several that had red lines running across their bodies. Some had exploded into monsters with Red Lyrium crystals protruding from their bodies. Other had died before such things could happen to them, but had been tainted by the Red Lyrium.  
The Knight-Captain Denam had been knocked unconscious, and was currently tied up like a Holiday Dinner, swinging from the rafters of the meeting room below.  
"There he is!" called Blackwall, pointing to the Lord Seeker that stood at the top of the steps.  
Faize approached him. "Lord Seeker!"  
The man suddenly turned and grabbed Faize's face. There was green-black swirl around them, and then . . .  
. . . and then Faize found himself standing inside a destroyed Chantry.  
"You. I must become you." said a voice.  
"A demon." said Faize. He looked around. He was alone. Swallowing, he started walking forward.  
"See what my Inquisition can become." the voice said.  
Faize started walking. He was scared. Everything was black and green and gross-looking, like the place he and Obsinion had been when they first met Muffy, Lotus, and Rose. Turning, he came face to face with a set of rotating fountains. Only instead of water, they spit fire.  
"I need to see more." the voice hissed.  
Faize made it past the first two fountains, but got burned with the third. There was a tiny alcove off to the side, and he stepped in.  
It looked like a room. The colors were different. Browns, warm and caring, even thought the bed was on the ceiling, the fireplace on the side of the wall, and a tree was growing along the floor.  
"He is Envy." someone said. It was different from the other voice.  
"Who's there?"  
"I used to be like him, but not anymore. I want to help. Make it better."  
Faize looked around, turning and suddenly coming face-to-face with a young man wearing a large, floppy hat and dressed in a ragged Templar tunic and pants. "Who are you? Where are we?"  
"In your head. Well, you've always been here. I was outside, and then, I came in. To help. The Demon is trying to take your face. He is Envy. Wants to be you, learn to be you." said the young man.  
"Doesn't explain who you are." Faize said. "Or why you are upside-down."  
"I'm Cole." the man said.  
"Alright, Cole. How do we get out of here?"  
"Go higher. Make it have to make more, try to learn more. Stretch it." Cole said.  
"So, tire it out."  
"Yes." Cole said, nodding. "I will try to help."  
Faize stepped out of the alcove.  
"Water." Cole said softly. "Think of water."  
"If that's all I need to do." Faize said. He focused, and suddenly the flames on the fountains fizzled out. A loud scream filled the area, and then a door appeared. Faize headed up, coming out into a prison.  
"Explain yourself!" came an echoed voice of Cassandra. Before Faize was an image of himself and Obsinion, kneeling on the floor, the way they were in the prison back near Haven.  
"A prison?" Faize asked himself.  
"More! I must learn more!" came the hissing voice.  
Faize looked around. There were brazers, but only one was lit with a green fire. He shrugged and lit a torch. Around him, he heard people asking why they were in prison, why Faize had thrown him in there. "I wouldn't do this." he said as he lit a brazer from his torch.  
"Denial? Interesting." came the hissing voice. It cursed as Faize lit another brazer. "No!"  
"Keep going." Cole encouraged.  
Faize continued to light the brazers, and suddenly, a wall pulled back, revealing another doorway. Faize practically ran through it, climbing the stairs. He hated dreams like this. He wanted out, needed out. He kept climbing the stairs, heading higher and higher.  
All at once, a black shadow of himself grabbed him by the throat. "You didn't show me enough. Now I am nothing! This time, with more pain!"  
"No!" shouted Faize. And suddenly . . .  
. . . he was back in the real world, and the door before him had flung open. Instead of the Lord Seeker, there was a long, lanky, fleshy, four-armed Demon screaming at them, and then it fled to the other side of a barrier at the other end of the Great Hall.  
"What was that?" asked Blackwall.  
"Envy Demon." said Faize, trying to catch his breath.  
"But, then where is the Lord Seeker?" asked Barris.  
"He was never here." said Faize. "Was there someone beside me? A young man?"  
"No." said Vivienne. "Just you, Darling."  
"Please stop calling me that." Fiaze groaned. "Oh well. The Demon fled that way, after it failed to . . . to become me."  
"Ew." said Vivienne and Blackwall.  
"We can break the barrier, but we need the Templar Lieutenants, as well as the crate of untainted Lyrium." said Barris. "There are three of them. Lieutenants, that is. They should be out on the battlements."  
Faize nodded. "Let's find them." he said.

"Obsinion?" Muffy walked over. "You look stressed."  
"I just have this bad feeling." he said. He held his shield up. "Again!"  
The recruit he was partnered with made a weak attack, and Obsinion pushed him back easily.  
"Are you a soldier or a wimp?" he asked. "Seriously. Muffy here could block your strikes, and she doesn't use a shield."  
"Oh yeah?" asked the recruit, taking a swing at Muffy.  
She caught the sword in her axe. "Yeah. That was honestly the worst strike I've ever felt, or seen, in my life." Twisting her axe, the sword easily came out of the recruit's hand and clattered on the ground. "Pick it up, and follow Obsinion's instruction."  
"He's just an Elf."  
"And that's what's going to get you killed out there on the battlefield." said Krem as he walked over. "Thinking 'oh, it's just an Elf' is going to see your throat slit faster than you can blink."  
"You're a man, and Human, so what do you know about Elves?" the recruit asked.  
"Dalish is an Elf." Krem replied. "And she fights with more balls than you do." Krem drew his sword and shield. "Here, like this."  
Obsinion fell into battle stance, bashing back with his shield when Krem attacked. He took a few blows before twisting around, leading with his shield to catch Krem's sword and then making his strike. It was just over Krem's shield, and if they hadn't been using wooden swords for the mock fight, Krem would have gotten more than just a few splinters.  
"That's how you fight." said Krem. "You can learn a lot from an Elf." As he walked away, Obsinion noticed something.  
"Hey, Krem. Wait up." He ran over. "Um, did I actually hurt you?"  
Krem looked at him. "What do you mean?"  
"Did I hit your leg or something?"  
Krem suddenly looked mortified. "Oh, shite." he said, looking down. "Forgot there are more women here than among the Chargers."  
"Wait, what?" asked Obsinion. "You're a . . . damn. You make a good man."  
"Thanks." said Krem. "And for the record, I am." He walked away, grumbling about having to do something about the blood.  
Obsinion only stood there, blinking for a bit. "A woman." he said, still shocked. "Oh, this just gets better and better."

Faize shot another arrow, taking out the last infected Templar before sliding down the ladder.  
"The barrier's down." said Barris. "Go get that bastard."  
Faize nodded, leading his small group out into the rear courtyard.  
The Envy Demon screamed again. "Why? I was supposed to be you! Now I am Nothing! If I can't have you, none will!" It went to attack, but they scattered.  
Fiaze backed up the furthest, firing off arrow after arrow. He really didn't want to have to use his Overdraw. That took a lot of Focus, and left him with a 75% chance of fainting. Not a good thing with this creature around.  
Vivienne set to work with her few magic attacks, mostly based out of the frost staff she was using, but occasionally lacing it with a shock of lightning or a blast of fire, just to piss the Demon off.  
As for Blackwall and Iron Bull, they seemed to be taking turns as to who would attack. Iron Bull would charge in, lay a good smack-down on it, the retreat with the Demon following, only for Blackwall to charge in and lay in on it, and so forth. A good tactic, and one that wore the Demon out rather quickly.  
And once it was worn out, all it took was an arrow in it's ugly face to kill it off for good.  
"It's gone?" asked Barris.  
"Yes, Darling." said Vivienne. "You have the Herald of Andraste to thank for that."  
"We are in your debt." said Barris. "But, we are without a leader."  
"You lead." said Faize. "Join us as our allies, and we'll try to our best to help you rebuild."  
"Very well. The Templars will side with the Inquisition and help close the Breach. I'll send a group of our best ahead of the rest of us to help with the camp." said Barris.  
"Thank you."

"You got the Templars to side with us?" asked Obsinion as the group gathered around the War Table.  
"Just how did you manage that one?" asked Rose.  
There was a puff of smoke, and the man that Faize had asked several times about at Therinfal Redoubt was crouched on the War Table. Cullen and anyone of the Warrior class tried to draw their blades, but Faize shouted, "Wait!"  
"What is this thing?" asked Cassandra.  
"This is Cole." said Faize. "He helped me against the Envy Demon."  
"I'm here to help." said Cole, still crouched on the table. "I won't be in the way. Small, unseen."  
"You can stay, Cole." said Faize.  
"He might be a Demon." snapped Cullen.  
"I said he could stay." Faize argued back.  
"If Faize wants him to stay, I don't see why not." said Obsinion.  
"Where did he go?" asked Cassandra.  
"He does that." said Faize. "You'll get used to it."  
"Well, whatever he is, it really does not matter." said Leliana. "Right now, we have the power needed to try closing the Breach."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: In Your Heart Shall Burn

The group reached the Temple of Sacred Ashes, or whatever was left of it, as the sun rose over the edge of the Frostback Mountains. The Templars took their positions, and the five Heralds of Andraste stood under the Breach. Raising their left hands skyward, streams of green energy rose from them, streaking towards the clouds, and finally, closing the Breach. There were repercussions. Another explosion, similar to when they had sealed the huge Rift that had been there earlier, shock-waved out against them, knocking everyone flat.  
Iron Bull and Cassandra were the first ones to get up, looking around. Muffy rose second, helping Varric up, since she'd landed next to him. Cullen sat up, pushing Rose up off him. Lotus stood, using her staff to help her stand. Obsinion sat up, rubbing his sore head and looking around.  
"I got you." said Solas, helping Faize out of a pit he'd been blown back into.  
"Did it work?" Faize asked, rubbing his head. He suddenly pitched, and Iron Bull caught him.  
"Yeah, it seems to have worked." the huge Qunari replied.

Back at Haven, Faize and the others were treated for the minor wounds they suffered when the Breach had been closed.  
"Solas confirms that the Breach is sealed, but there are some Fade Rifts still out there." said Cassandra. "But this is a victory, none the less."  
The others left so Obsinion could be alone with her.  
"You helped us." said the Elf.  
"Thank you." Cassandra said. "What will we do now, I wonder."  
"Try to restore order." Obsinion replied. "That was what this Inquisition was started on, wasn't it?"  
"True, and . . ." The sound of the warning horn halted her words. "What is it?"  
"Let's get down to the gate." said Obsinion. He leapt over the edge and started running, Cassandra right behind him.  
"Unknown soldiers." said Cullen as he encouraged the people to run in through the gates. "They just appeared from nowhere."  
"Excuse me." a tanned fellow walked over to them. "Names Dorian, and I've come to warn you. The Elder One is coming, and he's bringing the Tevinter, the Mages, and a lot of crap with him."  
"The Elder One?" asked Muffy.  
"The Envy Demon mentioned that during the fight." said Faize.  
"Up there!" shouted Rose.  
A tall, lanky figure with Red Lyrium crystals protruding from his face stood on an outcropping, frowning down at Haven.  
"We have to hurry." said Cassandra. "Get everyone into the Chantry."  
Lotus nodded and grabbed Solas's hand, dragging him with her to try and save a few people as they headed for the only solid building. She knew she wasn't much of a warrior, but if she could guide them, that would be enough.  
Just then, something flew overhead.  
"Oh, crap." said Iron Bull.  
"A Dragon?!" asked Obsinion.  
"An Archdemon." said Cassandra at the same time.  
"We need to get to the trebuchets!" shouted Cullen.  
"I'll take north!" shouted Obsinion. "Come on!"  
Muffy and Vivienne joined Cassandra in chasing after the Elf, while Dorian and Rose followed Faize and Iron Bull to the south trebuchet.  
"Something's wrong." shouted Iron Bull as he yanked a person out of a burning house. "It's not firing."  
Faize shot a Tevinter mage. "Noticed." he said. They kept running, pausing to kick open the door for the blacksmith.  
"He's got spirit." said Dorian as they made it to the trebuchet.  
Faize reached the machine first. The soldiers all around were dead, killed by Tevinter soldiers and mages. Panting, he grabbed the crank for the trebuchet and started to turn it to where it was supposed to fire.  
"Here they come!" shouted Rose.  
"Keep them off him!" Iron Bull grunted, cleaving through another Tevinter. "Oh, this gonna get messy. I like messy!"  
Faize kept at the crank, even as his shoulders began to ache. "There." He hurriedly climbed up onto the war machine, this time turning the crank to get the weapon to fire. With the weapon set, Faize hit the switch, setting it to fire.  
"Wrong way." said Rose, as the boulder went sailing off and hit the mountainside.  
"Just watch." said Faize. The snow came cascading down, burying half of the forces and separating the rest.  
"Wow." said Iron Bull. He suddenly grabbed Faize and ran, just in time. The huge Dragon that had joined the fray just torched the trebuchet, loosing them almost any chance of using that tactic again.  
"Get to the Chantry!" shouted Rose.  
The run was exhausting, but they made it, at about the same time as Obsinion's group.  
"You're alive." said Obsinion, his hands shaking as he held his brother. "When the trebuchet got hit, I wasn't sure you'd made it."  
"Any time you bought us with that stunt was just lost with that Dragon." said Cullen. "But we may be able to use it again to take them all out."  
"That would bury Haven." said Rose.  
"I . . . know of a way." said Chancellor Roderick as he stumbled over. He was wounded. "There is . . . a little know passage, that I took . . . on a pilgrimage. You can escape . . . using it."  
"Lead on." said Cullen. "You figure out who's staying behind to man the trebuchet. Whoever it is, wait until we're above the tree line."  
Obsinion could see the determination on Faize's face. "We'll go." he said. He grabbed Cassandra's wrist. "Take care of his Halla for him." he said, right before kissing her. Then he and Faize were out of the Chantry, heading up to the north trebuchet.  
The pair made it there with little resistance. "You're the one who shot last time." said Obsinion. "I'll keep them away."  
Faize nodded and started turning the cranks. His hands were cold, cracking against the metal, but he kept at it. They had to save the Inquisition.  
In front of him, Obsinion fought with another Elf. An Elf he had seen before. She was the one that had asked them to come to Redcliff, and now, she was a mindless Tevinter slave. He had to shield himself several times from her magic attacks, but he finally managed to get close enough to cut her down.  
"It's ready." said Faize. "Obsinion!"  
The elder Elf was knocked off his feet, hitting his head on the trebuchet and slumping to the bottom. As he stood, the Dragon loomed over the twins, and from the fires that raged around them came The Elder One.  
"You have my Anchor." he growled at them.  
"This was gift from Andraste." Faize argued back. He gauged the distance between himself and the release for the trebuchet.  
The Elder One laughed. "Your 'gift' was nothing but a means I, Corypheus, was meant to have, to sunder the heavens and return the Tevinter Imperium." He held up an orb. "And the means of retrieving it begins now."  
Faize and Obsinion grasped their left wrists as the marks snapped and fizzled.  
"It has split. Then it is of no use to me. I will begin again." Corypheus glared at them. "But you two. I will not have and adversary, even a pair of stupid ones, remain. You must die."  
The flare went up from the mountains. The Inquisition was safe.  
"Think again!" snapped Obsinion, kicking the release. The trebuchet flung the stone, letting it arc through the air and land on the mountain, causing a huge avalanche.  
The twins ran for it, trying to find something to hide under until the snow passed. Suddenly, something caved under Faize, and he dragged Obsinion down with him into the underground passage as the snow flew across overhead.  
Obsinion woke first, his head aching. His hand sparked. "Faize?"  
His brother didn't move.  
"Faize?" He gave him a light shake.  
"Oh, my head." The younger looked up at him. "Where are we?"  
"Underground tunnel." Obsinion replied. He looked around. There was really only one way to go, and as he stood, he realized that they were both injured. "Have any Elfroot?"  
Faize shook his head. "We'd better get going."  
The pair trudged along, at first being able to keep fairly good speed and finding their way to a crossroads-like section. Here, three Demons wandered. But without weapons, they wouldn't be able to pass.  
Obsinion raised his hand to block out some of the shine from the ice, and a Rift suddenly appeared, swallowing up the Demons before vanishing again.  
"Wow." said Faize. "I guess running into Corypheus changed the marks."  
"Anchors." said Obsinion, leading his brother along. "He called them Anchors."  
"Whichever, they changed. Now we can summon rifts, or at least you can."  
They continued on, reaching an exit onto the side of the mountain.  
"Winds always come from the north on the Frostbacks." Faize gasped out. "They would have headed northward."  
Obsinion nodded. "Let's go." He was actually more grateful when Faize took his hand. The blowing snow was impossible to see through, and the last thing either one wanted was to loose the other.  
The light around them dimmed as they kept trudging, letting them know the sun had completely set. Still, they continued on. Obsinion's hands began to go numb, but he still gripped Faize's hand tightly, trying to keep his brother close.  
Eventually, the wind died off as well, leaving them shuffling through waist-high snow. Still, they kept going.  
"Look." Faize rasped. He pointed with one greyish cold hand towards a few burnt logs. "It looks like a camp."  
Obsinion reached out and touched the embers. "A little warmth. Perhaps . . ."  
They kept going, but it was getting to be too much. Faize suddenly fell, exhaustion taking him.  
"Faize." Obsinion coughed, turning to his brother. He pulled him close. "Come on. I can't loose you." He heard someone walking.  
"They're here!" came a voice. But Obsinion was just as exhausted as Faize, and dropped into the snow.

Obsinion was the first to wake, and wishing he wasn't. His head hurt like crazy, and the arguing going on not that far away was making his headache worse. On a slightly more pleasant note, he felt warmer, and there was the semi-comforting feeling of Faize curled into his side.  
"How long has that been going on?" he asked when he spotted Mother Giselle sitting nearby.  
"For a while." she replied.  
Faize lifted his head, frowning. "Great. Another headache to add to the one I already have."  
Obsinion looked at him. "You ok?"  
"No, but I'm gonna have to be." Faize replied. "There are others who need help. I'm just a frostbitten Elf."  
"True. And it's we. We're a pair of frostbitten Elves."  
The members of the War Council sat, exhausted from their argument. There was no place for them to go back to, and the number of fallen comrades was to many to count at the moment.  
"_Shadows fall, and hope has fled. Steel your heart, the dawn will come_."  
Faize and Obsinion sat up. They'd heard this song before, back at the Chantry near the Free Marches. Now, Mother Giselle was singing it, in hopes of helping the remaining members of the Inquisition.  
"_The night is long, and the path is dark. Look to the sky, for one day soon, the dawn will come_."  
From somewhere in the group, Leliana began to sing as well. "_The shepherd's lost, and his home is far. Keep to the stars, the dawn will come_."  
One by one, the others in the Inquisition began to join in the song.  
"_The night is long, and the path is dark. Look to the sky, for one day soon, the dawn will come. Bare your blade, and raise it high. Stand your ground, the dawn will come. The night is long, and the path is dark. Look to the sky, for one day soon, the dawn will come_."  
Solas walked over. "A moment." he said.  
Faize and Obsinion followed, noticing that Muffy, Lotus, and Rose were also with them.  
"What is it, Solas?" asked Muffy.  
"You seem worried." added Rose.  
"As should at least two of you. The orb that Corypheus holds."  
"Yeah, got a firsthand look at that." said Faize. "Not very nice."  
"It is of Elven origin."  
"And you would know this, how?" asked Lotus.  
"I have studied ancient texts and lore, walked through the Fade and seen ancient histories." he replied. "Nonetheless, it is Elven."  
"You're afraid they'll think we were involved." said Obsinion.  
Solas nodded. "Or at least that Elves in general are involved."  
"But, you guys aren't." said Rose. "I mean, he attacked you two."  
"We need to prove ourselves." said Faize.  
"Lead them northward." said Solas. "Guide them to a new haven, a place where we can rest and recover, and then make ourselves known to all of Thedas that we are the Inquisition."  
The others nodded.  
"I haven't done much for this Inquisition, and I'll admit it." said Lotus. "Let the Elves lead."  
Muffy nodded, as did Rose. "They have the most to loose, of all of us." said the Dwarf.  
"Let's go."

With the rising of the sun, Faize and Obsinion began their march, leading the refugees of Haven along the snowy mountains. Some times, Faize would be the one darting on ahead, at other times, it was Obsinion.  
Weeks passed, and then, they found it. A huge stone castle, lost to the ages, found when it was needed most.  
Tarasyl'an Te'las. Skyhold.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Hunting of The Iron Bull

"Wow." said Obsinion as he walked the ramparts. "This is one heck of a place."  
"Yeah." agreed Faize. He leaned on one of the pieces facing the courtyard.  
"Watching someone?" Obsinion asked.  
Faize sighed. "Obsinion, am I stupid?"  
"Depends." the older replied. "What's the subject?"  
"The Iron Bull." Faize suddenly covered his mouth, a light blush covering his cheeks.  
Obsinion couldn't help but suddenly laugh. "Sorry." he said, straitening up. "What about him?" He looked over the courtyard, noticing that the subject in question was teaching someone how to use a shield to properly bash an attacker back.  
"I . . . I think I love him."  
"Has he shown any response?"  
"No, and that's what's bothering me." Faize replied. He sighed.  
"You flirt with him?"  
"Consistently." He sighed again, his large purple eyes following the strong figure below. There it was again, that light dusting of a blush on his cheeks, the soft change in the way he breathed. The way he didn't seem to really notice when a bird crapped right next to him on it's way to the tower.  
"The message will get through." Obsinion assured him. He noticed Iron Bull walking towards the wall they were standing on.  
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Rose as she came out onto the rampart.  
"Just talking." said Obsinion. He noticed his brother didn't move, only kept watching the Qunari male below.  
"Something eating him?" she asked.  
"Depends on if you mean literally or figuratively."  
"Figurative." the Human said. "He's been out of it since we got to Skyhold."  
Obsinion sighed, only to hear a strange crunching sound. "What's that?"  
"Sounds like stone." said Rose.  
"Woah!" Faize suddenly fell forward, where the wall had suddenly given away. "Omph."  
"Nice of you to drop in."  
Obsinion covered his face. "My brother falls two floors into his arms, and that's the greeting he gets?"  
Faize only put his arms around the Qunari. "Thanks for catching me." he said, although he gave little intent of wanting to leave said arms. But The Iron Bull put him down on the ground, and Faize had to let go, his fingers curling just slightly as the other turned and walked away.  
"I can see where he's having trouble." said Rose. "On a note of such, it might be wise to send the two of them with a pair of mages down to the Hinterlands."  
"Why?" Obsinion asked.  
"Well, and I don't know if you'd approve of this, but it's come to my attention that the big guy down there likes hunting Dragons." She looked at Obsinion. "There happens to be a big old Ferelden Frostback out that way, near a camp we established. Might be a good way to get Iron Bull's attention. Plus, a second party might be able to sneak in after them and take out all those little Dragonlings that the Dragon keeps around."  
Obsinion looked at her. "You can be devious, you know that?"  
"I can also end up locked away in here for a while. A long while."  
"Why?"  
"Cullen just found out I'm pregnant."  
Obsinion just stared. "Your what?"  
"About two months along. We've been together since the beginning of the Inquisition, and with no sheath for the sword, so to speak, well . . ."  
"I get the idea." said Obsinion. He looked at her. "So, do I stuff one of the Dragonlings for the baby?"

"Why do we get stuck with these two?" Faize asked.  
They were out in the Hinterlands, two complete parties of four, to 'collect herbs for the healers', or at least that was the cover story. Part of it was also to collect a group of Dalish refugees that had been driven that way by the Tevinter. But the big part, that was trying to get the younger Lavellan and the Iron Bull closer.  
"Because I said so." Obsinion replied. "I've got the mouthier one." He thumbed Vivienne, who was trying to tell Cassandra to use her family influence to help the Inquisition. "Besides, they said the good herbs are in there."  
"Two mages?" Iron Bull asked. He looked Solas and Dorian over, then back at the older Lavellan. "Are you expecting trouble?"  
"Whoever would think that?" asked Lotus, the fourth member of the second party. She knew what this was about, and personally, she'd have liked to be in the Dragon-killing party, not the mop-up collection.  
"Well, let's get going." said Faize. He led the group, noting several clusters of Dragonlings eating something, but they didn't seem concerned with the group walking through their territory.  
Iron Bull sniffed. "Smells like Dragon territory."  
"What?" asked Dorian. "Dragons?"  
Faize peered around a rock. "I think I found it." he said. He pulled his head back as a blast of fire went where he used to be, charring the rock. "Yup, I found it."  
"Are we going to kill it?" Iron Bull asked.  
Faize could see the eagerness in the Qunari's expression, even if it was slight. "Why not. It's where the herbs are supposed to be."  
There was a loud roar, and Obsinion peered over his rock to see the whole group go charging in. "Ok, to your posts." he said.  
"Got it, Darling." Vivienne stood near, but not in, the opening where the Dragon was, ready to revive anyone who fell to the beast. Across the opening from her stood Lotus, who occasionally shot a frost blast at the beast in time with any of Solas's attacks.  
Meanwhile, Obsinion and Cassandra cleared out the Dragonlings.  
"You said you want one mostly whole?" asked Cassandra, holding one up by the tail.  
"Yeah. There's a guy on the way back we need to pick up."  
"Why do you need this?" Cassandra asked.  
"Curly knocked up Rose, and she asked for a stuffed Dragonling to decorate the room."  
Cassandra blinked at him. "He did what?" she asked, stabbing her sword into a Dragonling that was coming up beside her.  
"Yeah, that's close to what I said." Obsinion turned as a loud, earth-shaking roar echoed through the area.  
"That was awesome!" came Iron Bull's voice.  
"Mind helping?" Faize asked. "There's a lot of Dragon to skin and work with."  
"No problem." The Iron Bull joined Faize in retrieving large sections of webbing, scales, bones, and some of the blood, as per Dorian's request on the last one. He said it could be used to make certain potions.  
Iron Bull noticed Faize kneeling next to the Dragon's head. As he walked close, he could hear Faize's soft whisper.  
"Thank you, Mythal, for your blessing of this Dragon, her flesh and bones to protect us against the evil that threatens this world." He sighed, running his hand over one of the smaller teeth.  
Iron Bull just stood there. He'd noticed the flirts, the slight gestures towards him, and now, he'd even taken him into Dragon territory and killed one of the beasts with him. Next time they were able to get alone, that Elf wasn't going to be walking out of his room any time soon thereafter.  
"Now, how remove one of these . . ." Faize pried the mouth open and propped it that way with his bow. "I'm pretty sure . . ."  
Iron Bull frowned as the Elf climbed into the Dragon's mouth in order to try getting a tooth out. He was cute, but obviously not that bright on some subjects. Especially when the bow slipped in the still-drooly mouth, and the jaws closed.  
"Yeep!" came the muffled cry.  
"Where's Faize?" asked Obsinion.  
Iron Bull pried the mouth open. "Got your tooth?" he asked.  
Faize crawled out, covered in Dragon slobber, several teeth tucked in one arm, and laughing. "Thanks, Bull. I wasn't looking forward to having to crawl my way out the other end."  
Obsinion face-palmed again. "Oi. You really know how to kill a mood, don't you?"  
"He did what?" asked Cassandra. "What is he covered in?"  
"Dragon drool." Obsinion replied. "But he got several of the . . . Oh, Andraste's patience. He's still working on it?" He tossed the dead Dragonling into the back of the wagon. "Faize, we haven't got all day!"  
"Almost done." Faize slid down off the Dragon's head, following two large objects that he'd slid down first.  
"What are those?" asked Solas.  
"The horns." Faize replied. "I thought they might be useful, you know, for the research team. Just in case Corypheus comes back, we need to know more to be able to take out his Dragon."  
"Oh, we know he's coming back." said Lotus. "He got away with that Dragon of his when you guys buried Haven."  
"Well, lets get back to Skyhold." said Dorian.

"Um, Iron Bull?" said Faize as they sat in the tavern back at Skyhold.  
"Hmm?" The Qunari filled Faize's stein. "What is it? And you can call me Bull if it's easier."  
"That thing you shouted, during the battle with the dragon."  
"Oh, that. Taarsidath-an halsaam."  
"Yeah. What's it mean?"  
Lotus snorted in her stein a few tables away. "Oh, this is gonna be good." she said.  
"Hmm?" Obsinion and Cassandra turned to look, just as Faize got his answer.  
"Loosely translated, it means 'I will bring myself sexual pleasure later, while thinking about this with great respect'."  
Obsinion looked at Cassandra with a worried face.  
"You said that, while it was breathing fire at us?" Faize asked.  
"Oh, holy Andraste." said Muffy, right before taking another drink from her stein. "That's one for the books."  
"Ah, it was a good fight." said Iron Bull.  
"Did you?"  
"Huh?"  
"You know."  
Obsinion felt like he was going to die out of embarrassment. "Oh, lords."  
"I don't get it. What?" asked Iron Bull.  
"The pleasure." Faize replied, feeling a little self-conscious.  
There was silence in the entire tavern for a moment, and then Iron Bull started laughing. "No." he replied, before downing a full stein of beer.  
Faize sighed, drinking the contents of his stein. He coughed, and Iron Bull thumped him on the back, helping him get his air.  
"Second drink's always easier. Most of the nerves in the throat are burned out by the first one." said Iron Bull. He saw the embarrassed look on Faize's face and sighed. "You know, have another."  
Faize looked up at him.  
"To killing Dragons?"  
Faize shook his head. "No. To The Iron Bull."  
"And his bad-ass Leader."  
Obsinion and Cassandra both face-palmed.  
"Does he miss these on purpose?" asked Cassandra.  
"I don't know." Obsinion replied. "Omph."  
Iron Bull put his hand on Obsinion's shoulder, gave him a look, and continued out of the tavern. The Elf knew what was up, now. "So, Cassandra. You have any plans tonight?"  
"Obsinion, I have a headache." said Faize, staggering a bit.  
"Go on ahead." Obsinion sighed as his brother left.  
"You need to take care of him or something?" Cassandra asked.  
The Elf shook his head. "No. Help's probably already in the room."  
"What?" Cassandra looked out the door, than back at Obsinion. A look of realization crossed her face, and she shook her head. "No, I didn't have plans."  
"Good. There's a nice glade not that far from here." said Obsinion. "I'll meet you there in half an hour."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Romancing Cassandra

The path was lined with flowers. Not just any flowers, either, but a rare kind of Dalish flower that Cassandra remembered mentioning briefly that she liked. The red and blue hues were lit up by candles, in little clusters of three, that also lined the way to the glade.  
And then, that voice. That soft, calm, but wonderful voice Cassandra had come to enjoy hearing. But, what was he saying?  
"On aching branch do blossoms grow, the wind a hallowed breath.  
It carries the scent of honeysuckle, sweet as the Lover's kiss.  
It brings the promise of more tomorrows, of sighs and whispered bliss."  
"You chose that for your poem?" Cassandra asked, trying to hide her smile and failing utterly.  
"You don't like it?" Obsinion asked, a bit worried.  
"Carmenum Di Amatus. I thought this one was banned." She took the book from him, re-opening it to the poem he'd been reading and leaning on a nearby tree.  
"His lips on mine speak words not voiced, a prayer.  
Which travels down my spine like flames that shatter night.  
His eyes reflect the heaven's stars, the Maker's light.  
My body opens, filled and blessed, my spirit there."  
Obsinion leaned against her back, his breath tickling her ear as he read the last line.  
"Not merely housed in flesh, but brought to life."  
Cassandra looked at him, softly closing the book.  
"Shall we read another?" Obsinion asked. He was suddenly grabbed by Cassandra and dragged down to the ground, her soft lips kissing his with heated passion.  
Her hands were quick, opening the buttons of his shirt while he made short work of her chest armor and tunic that was hidden underneath. His pants went somewhere on a bush, and the same with her's moments later. All the while, they kept kissing each other, letting their hands wander.  
Obsinion was honestly surprised by the fact that Cassandra had rather nice breasts. Just over a handful each, they were soft, warm, just like the woman beneath him. "Oh, Cassandra." he moaned as he kissed her again and again.  
Cassandra moaned, nipping at his long ears as he kissed her neck. Her hips rutted up against him, gasping when she felt his nice endowment pressed against her inner thigh.  
Obsinion didn't even have to really ask. He just looked her in the eyes, and they seemed to understand where this was all going. Carefully, he pressed himself against her soft folds, and Cassandra clung to him as he pierced her. There was a moments pause while they adjusted, and then, he just gently, tried to be so gentle with her. Didn't last long, as Cassandra wrapped her legs around his slender hips and breathed, "More", in his ear.  
So Obsinion did as asked. He picked up speed, kissing her and nipping her neck, and letting her nip his neck, and her nails were digging into his back and . . .  
. . . and he unloaded all his cum into her soft body, at about the same time she moaned in ecstasy. They lay down together in the soft grass, cuddling and basking in the afterglow of some good, fine sex.  
"They will say one of two things about me in later years." said Cassandra, after a while.  
"Oh?"  
"That I was the one who stood beside one of the Heralds of Andraste, his friend and lover. Or they will say that I was led astray by the whiles of an Elven madman." She leaned up on his shoulder, her grey eyes looking into his purple.  
"And what do you believe?" Obsinion asked.  
"I believe that you are wonderful." Cassandra said. "And that you can do anything. And it frightens me. I will not let Corypheus take you from me."  
"And he won't take you from me, either." said Obsinion, putting his arm around her.  
Cassandra rolled on top of him, a playful smirk on her face. She wasn't about to let once be all they were going to do.  
And so, to the flickering of candles drowning in their wax, the pair continued to make love.

Obsinion woke with a start the next morning to find his clothes all across the glade and a naked Cassandra by his side. And a feeling of bliss and slight dread in the pit of his stomach.  
He'd done it. Gone through with it and screwed the Seeker. In his defense, she had instigated it. In her defense, he had lured her out with flowers, candles, and poetry. And now that he had time to think on it, he realized the poem he'd picked could have been a bit more romantic.  
"Thinking, Love?" asked Cassandra from beside him.  
"What are we going to tell Faize?"  
"The truth. You chose me, and I chose you." She stood, letting Obsinion get a nice view of that peach-colored ass while she picked her clothes off the bushes. "Besides, he was pursuing Iron Bull, wasn't he?"  
"True." Obsinion replied, getting up.  
Cassandra looked down at his waist, blinking. "Want to take care of that before we return?" she asked.  
Obsinion looked down, not sure why he was suddenly embarrassed. "If you wa . . !" He was knocked over, and the lovemaking resumed right where it had left off: hot and passionate.  
Thus, it was well into the day when the pair walked back into Skyhold, only to notice the tension around them.  
"What is it?" asked Obsinion.  
"The War Council needs to speak." said Leliana. "Now."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Riding the Bull

(at about the same time Obsinion is quoting bad poetry to Cassandra)  
Faize sighed. His head was hurting, and not in a bad way, really. He just wanted to yell at the Iron Bull, shout his feeling and emotions out at the Qunari. It felt like he was chasing his own tail. Every time he flirted or made a pass at the guy, it seemed to go sailing right over the man's horned head. Those wonderful, strong horns . . .  
So it was no wonder when Faize got up to the room, in the state he was in, that he didn't notice the Iron Bull sitting on the edge of the bed.  
"Hey."  
Faize nearly jumped, turning quite suddenly. "Bull." he said. His heart seemed to be hammering in his ears.  
"Look, I've noticed all the flirting and passes you've made, and I get the idea."  
Faize looked at him, his eyes wide.  
"You want to ride the Bull." The big man walked over, catching Faize's wrists and pinning him to the wall, hands over his head.  
Now Faize was starting to shake a bit, but he still looked up at Bull. This was what he wanted, what he'd been going after ever since he'd left with Krem to the Storm Coast to find The Iron Bull. This was his chance. "You're going to have to go a bit slower." he said, then grinned a little cheekily. "And a lot harder."  
Bull put his hand around Faize's head and gently kissed him. "All you have to say is 'katoh', and I'll stop, alright?" he whispered.  
Faize nodded, leaning forward and kissing Bull again. His shaking now was from want, not fear. He needed the Iron Bull, and it pained him at how slow Bull was at undoing his tunic and undershirt. However, he also understood that the larger man was just being gentle with him, trying to prepare him for what was to come. The hand that snaked down his trousers and palmed his erection was calloused, and made him cry out.  
"Ahh!" he gasped, unconsciously bucking his hips. Tears ran down his face as his pants were removed, and he was exposed for Bull to admire and adore.  
And Bull did, even as he undid his own belt and removed his pauldron, then his pants. Carefully, he pulled Faize close, kissing him as he wrapped his arms around the lithe Elf.  
Faize gasped. Bull was HUGE, but it didn't seem to really matter. His mind was becoming hazy, and when Bull looked at him with some concern, his hand tilting the other's face up, Faize carefully took his hand and started to lick his fingers.  
Bull knew something was up, but Faize looked so cute, licking and sucking on his fingers. Besides, if he had to guess just from the scars on Faize's body, he'd been trained. The glassy look in the other's eyes said it all. Carefully, he pulled his fingers away from Faize's mouth, kissing him again as he coaxed the other to spread his legs some and pushed his finger against the waiting entrance.  
Faize gasped, suddenly, and screamed.  
Bull paused. "You alright?"  
"I won't do it again." he sobbed. "Don't hurt Obsinion, please. I'll be a good boy, just don't hurt Obsinion."  
Bull sat Faize down, seeing the still glassy look in the others eyes. So, it had been abuse. "I won't hurt him." he said, gently petting Faize's grey-black locks. What he didn't expect was for Faize to suddenly push him down and straddle him.  
"I'll be a good boy." he kept whispering. "I'll be good."  
Bull reached up, gently petting Faize. Just what had happened to give this seemingly innocent Elf a complex like this? He was suddenly startled when a small hand wrapped around his still hard and aching cock. "What are you?"  
"It's so big." Faize gasped, pressing himself down against the hard member. His body resisted, and he began to tear. With a moan, he forced himself down on it, the crown finally slipping inside. He kept sliding down, gasping as he was filled.  
Iron Bull couldn't stand it. Faize was forcing himself into this, probably not even realizing what he was saying or doing. "You don't have to." he said, trying to talk the Elf out of it.  
"If I don't, Obsinion gets hurt." Faize whimpered. "Why? I'm not good?" A tear ran down his face.  
Iron Bull wiped the tear away. "You're perfect." he whispered.  
Faize smiled softly, just before he began to try to ride the massive cock shoved in his ass. His movements were jerky, awkward, and his gasps were often pained. Still, the effort was appreciated, on Bull's end, even if he knew it was just out of reflex.  
The Qunari gripped Faize by the waist, gently sitting up and laying the Elf down on the bed. "I'm sorry, but this is going too slow." With that, he began to thrust into the thin creature, and Faize began to cry. It wasn't long before his seed was shooting out across his chest, and Bull was unloading his seed all inside him.  
Faize fell limp, his eyes still glassy and his mind hazy. "Just don't hurt Obsinion, please." he sobbed out, coughing. His body trembled for a bit, then finally lay still as he fell unconscious.  
Iron Bull gently pulled out of him and sat on the bed beside him. This was probably not what Faize had wanted to do with him, but it had helped. The Qunari now understood why Faize always seemed to cling to his older brother, why he seemed scared in crowded places. He'd been abused, trained as a sex slave behind his brother's back, and the entire time threatened with his brother finding out or being abused as well.  
Carefully, Iron Bull re-dressed Faize, then tucked him into the bed. He then dressed himself, but remained on the sofa for a while. However, Faize's usual nightmares started up, and Bull held him close for the rest of the night, keeping the Elf in his lap and cradling him.  
As the sun rose, he tucked Faize back in the bed, expecting Obsinion to be arriving soon, and left the room.  
"Is Lavellan in?" asked Josephine. "There's something I need to discuss."  
"Shh." said Iron Bull. "Let him sleep."  
Josephine shrugged and walked away.

Faize blinked awake, his body sore and aching. His chest hurt, and so did his ass. Oh, sweet Andraste, did his ass hurt.  
He sat up, immediately wishing he hadn't as pain raced up his spine. The last thing he clearly remembered was Iron Bull, holding his hands over his head and undressing him. Everything else was kinda hazed over, and he was unsure of what he might have done.  
He started to cry. "What did I do?" he sobbed. "Just what did I do?"  
There was a knock at the door, and despite his body's want to just lie down and rest, Faize got up and walked over to the door. "Yes?"  
Josephine was standing there. "The War Council needs to speak. Now."  
"Coming." Faize left the room, still feeling off about what may or may not have happened the night before.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Inquisitor

They were all assembled. The five Heralds of Andraste. The War Council was there. The core members of the Inquisition.  
"We need a leader." said Cullen. "Someone the people can look up to, to rally behind, to follow."  
Everyone looked to the five Heralds of Andraste.  
"It must be one of you." said Leliana.  
The people were gathered, watching them as they stood at the half-way point of the stairs.  
"I can't lead." said Lotus. "I follow, but I cannot lead."  
"Neither can I." said Muffy. "We saw what kind of a mess that was back in the Hinterlands."  
"I'm not a good leader, either." said Rose.  
They all looked at the Lavellan Twins.  
Faize looked at Obsinion. "I've always followed you."  
Leliana walked over, holding a ceremonial sword. "Will you lead us?" she asked.  
Obsinion looked at the sword, then carefully picked it up. "I will lead." he said. "Because we need to restore order, not just for ourselves, but for all who believe in us, and all those yet to come into this world."  
Cassandra looked over at Cullen. "If he calls, will they answer?"  
Cullen shouted out to the people. "Will you answer?"  
"Yeah!" several people shouted.  
"Will you follow?"  
"YEAH!" the crowd roared.  
"Will you fight?"  
"YEAH!" The walls nearly shook with the reply.  
"Inquisitor." he said, looking up at them all and smiling.

"Oh." Obsinion sighed once they'd stepped back into the castle. "So, what's first on the agenda?"  
"The page found by your brother at Therinfal Redoubt indicates that Corypheus is going to try to have the Empress Celine assassinated." said Josephine.  
"We have to warn her." said Obsinion.  
"She will be conducting peace talks with Grand-Duke Gaspard at the Grande Ball in Halamshiral, but we have been unable to obtain an invite as of yet."  
"This is possibly due to the fact that things have gone badly on the battlefields at the Exalted Plains." added Leliana.  
"Is there anyone we can send there?" asked Obsinion. He noticed there was some tension between Iron Bull and his brother.  
"I'll go." said Muffy. "I mean, if you want me to."  
"Gather a team, and prepare to head out." said Obsinion. "And take care."  
Muffy walked past Varric. "Come on, you. We're heading to the Exalted Plains." She picked off Solas. "And you." She paused, looking at Iron Bull, then at Blackwall. "And the Warden. Let's go."  
"Well, that's one area." said Cullen. "There's also the issue of something going on in the Western Approach."  
"Isn't that a desert?" asked Faize. He didn't look well.  
Obsinion looked over at Lotus.  
"I'll go." she said. "I'll take Cole, Vivienne, and Dorian."  
"That's fine." said Obsinion. "Take care out there. The note here mentions Venitori, Red Tempalrs, and . . . *groan* Dragons."  
Iron Bull looked just a little less than pleased about not going, but remained quiet about it, especially when he suddenly had to catch Faize, who fainted on them. "Inquisitor." he said. "Might I have a word with you?"  
"Sure." Obsinion followed Iron Bull back to the room the Qunari had been given. The bed was nice, but there were planks lying in messy piles, and a hole in ceiling that could really use some patching.  
"What happened to him?" Iron Bull asked, putting Faize down on the bed. "Because the Elf that slept with me last night was nothing like the adorable little flirt I've fallen for."  
"I'm not sure what you mean." Obsinion replied.  
Iron Bull sat on one of the piles of wood and motioned for Obsinion to sit as well. "Has he said anything in reference to abuse to you?"  
Obsinion seemed shocked. "No, he hasn't. Why? What's wrong with him?"  
"He's covered in scars, for one." Iron Bull replied. "And secondly, he seemed to fall into some kind of trance last night, forcing himself. Begged me not to hurt you, and that he would be a good boy, as long as you weren't hurt."  
Obsinion sighed, looking over at his brother. "There would times, where I'd find him in a glade, or near a stream. He'd be unconscious, usually with a bruise or something somewhere on his body." He sighed. "But I had no idea he was being abused."  
Iron Bull raised an eyebrow.  
"When I was talking to Cassandra, back in Haven, we figured out that whatever may have happened to bring on the night-terrors probably had something to do with the Elder."  
"Everything." came a soft voice.  
"Faize." Obsinion sighed. "How much did you hear?"  
"Only the last bit." He sighed. "What happened last night, that you would ask Obsinion? What did I do?"  
"You uh, forced yourself." Iron Bull replied.  
"Oh no." Faize groaned. He tried to sit up, but the Qunari easily held him down.  
"You need to rest." he said. "Now, what happened? I figured it was abuse to save your brother, and he knows it had something to do with your Elder. So, fill in the blanks."  
Faize remained quiet a moment. "The Elder's son." he finally said. "He and his friends would drag me out to the glades, away from camp, far from the Halla herders. They . . . trained me. Said I was no good for anything else, since Clan Lavellan had hunters. Any time I resisted, they threatened to hurt you, Obsinion. So I put up with it. Started to just let my mind fog over whenever they started, but it didn't stop the terrors." He looked away. "I thought leaving the Clan would help me let go."  
"Anything we can do to snap you out of it?" Obsinion asked. "Because I think the Iron Bull needs a second chance."  
"Hit me." Faize replied. "It's always how I was woken up from it. Just don't . . . nothing with water, ok?"  
"They used water, too?" Iron Bull asked.  
Faize nodded. "They'd pour bucket-fulls over my head while I was being fucked. Said it made me tighter when I was gagging." He shuddered again.  
"I promise." said Iron Bull. "But first, you rest up, gather your strength. I'll be right here if you need me."  
Obsinion stood and left, finding Cassandra sitting off to the side, reading a book. "Good reading?"  
Gah!" she jump up, knocking the stool over. "Um, well, you see . . ." She sighed. "It's a book."  
"I can see that."  
"A smutty book."  
Obsinion raised an eyebrow.  
Cassandra sighed. "It's one of the one's Varric wrote, Swords and Shields. The latest volume. This one ends on a cliffhanger, and I'm still waiting for him to write the next chapter."  
"Too bad he's out on a mission. But as soon as he get's back, I'll ask him to write it up." Obsinion replied. "in the meantime . . ." He tilted her chin up and gave her a kiss. "I forgot to say this last night, so I'll do it now. I love you, Cassandra."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: In Persuit of Love

"Is something wrong with Faize?" asked Cullen.  
"What do you mean?" Obsinion returned, looking over the War Table. News had come from Muffy, detailing the fact that there had been some sort of magic at work and making dead soldiers come back to life. She also mentioned a group of Dalish Elves she'd come across and helped, granting them a young Dalish warrior who had wanted to join the Inquisition.  
Lotus had also sent word. The Tevinter were almost driven out of the Wastes, but there had been evidence to prove they'd been mining Red Lyrium, and that they had moved locations to Emprise du Lion, where she was taking her group now. There had also been a Dragon researcher out there, and he was now headed for Skyhold to help out with research.  
"He walks funny, lately." Cullen replied. He looked over as Rose, now into her fourth month, walked into the war room.  
"Well, this isn't as difficult as Mother made it out to be." Rose said. "I keep up with most of my fighting exercises, and I can still walk around no problem." She looked over at Obsinion. "Oh, and he's walking weird again."  
Obsinion sighed. "He'll be fine." he said.  
"Staggering like a drunk, and dropping to his knees to vomit?" Rose asked. "You've got a weird definition of fine."  
Obsinion sighed. "Where is he?"  
"Currently with Leliana, in the tower." Rose replied. She stole a kiss from Cullen.  
"I'll go talk to him." Obsinion pushed back from the War Table and headed off.  
It had been about a month since Lotus and Muffy had left with their groups, and Obsinion was actually looking forward to their return. His life had gotten much busier with being made Inquisitor, and it left him exhausted on a good day and out cold on the floor of the War Room on any other. He'd hardly had time to help with Faize, or to see Cassandra, and it made him feel guilty.  
When he reached Leliana's section of the tower, he noticed two things: there were a lot of birds up there, and Leliana was crouched next to her desk, dabbing a damp cloth over Faize's face. "How is he?"  
Leliana looked over. "Feverish, and slightly delirious." she replied as she stood.  
"How delirious?"  
"He keeps muttering about your Elven gods."  
"Mythal in particular?" Obsinion asked.  
"Yes." Leliana replied. "Why is that?"  
The elder Elf looked at the younger. "It's the amulet." he replied. Carefully, he pulled one from his own pocket. "I lied. I know what clan Faize and I were born to, and why we were cast aside to Clan Lavellan, but Faize doesn't know. We were five. Our parents died, and no-one wanted the strange pair of Elves. We were born with our marks, which was unheard of. Faize with the green marks of one watched by Mythal, and I with the blue marks of one who is watched by Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf." He showed her the amulet he carried. "Our mother carved these for us, then dipped them in liquid silver. When she and father died, we were pushed off to Clan Lavellan, because no other clan would take us together." He put the amulet back in his pocket.  
"They say the Dread Wolf is the one who trapped the Old Gods, then went to sleep." said Leliana. "That you would be watched by him would mean he's awakened."  
"I know. Just as Faize being watched by Mythal would mean she is once again alive." He knelt and felt his brother's forehead, then sighed. "I'll put him to bed. He shouldn't be out in his condition." Obsinion picked his bother up and carried him to the room they had been given. Technically, it was Obsinion's room, but until the Iron Bull's room was fixed up, this was where Faize was going to end up staying.  
Faize shifted, groaning. "Obsinion?" he whispered.  
"Yes?"  
"I . . . Ir abelas(I'm sorry)."  
"What were you doing out when you have the Spring Fever?"  
"Looking for you." Faize coughed. His face was pale, paler than usual.  
"Why?" Obsinion asked.  
"Because I finished it." Faize replied. He fiddled with his pocket and pulled out something. "Here, for you and Cassandra."  
Obsinion tentatively put out his hand, startled when two metal rings fell into his palm.  
"I asked Rose what humans do to make a bond eternal, and she said they exchange vows and rings. I tried to make them the right size, but I'm not sure."  
Obsinion smiled. His little brother had seen the way things were going between him and Cassandra, and had wanted to help should the relationship go further. "Thank you, Faize. I was just wondering when I was going to get the time to make these. Now rest up, alright? We need you better as well."  
Faize nodded, drifting off to sleep.  
As Obsinion stepped out, he noticed Iron Bull standing near the door. "What is it?"  
"So, he finished them?"  
"Huh? You knew about these?" Obsinion was startled.  
"Yeah, and before you ask, I'm here to let you in on something, in case he goes to someone else besides me. The Qunari are bred like pets for different jobs, so there's no use in marriage or whatever you guys do. There is, however, something given to the one you care deeply about, if it ever happens. A Dragon's Tooth, split evenly in two, and made into a necklace, one for each. This shows that no matter how far away you are, you are still close to their heart."  
"Is that why you helped him get the Dragon's teeth?" Obsinion asked.  
"That and he used his bow to try and prop that slippery mouth open. I was actually hoping to get my hands on one and make it myself, but he's hoarded the damned things somewhere."  
Obsinion sighed. "I have no idea where they could be, then. I haven't seen them in the room." He heard a thump from the room. "Crap, his terrors."  
Iron Bull put his hand on Obsinion's shoulder. "You go spend a few minutes with your girl. I'll help him." He walked past the Elf and into the room.  
Obsinion just shrugged and headed off to the courtyard to find Cassandra.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Bumbled Question

Obsinion never did get out to the courtyard. Leliana caught him, telling him there had been a message from Muffy. Apparently, most of her party was wounded, and wouldn't be able to chase after the 'Freemen of the Dales' in order to find out any more about them. Her team was on it's way back, and they needed another party to head out.  
Naturally, Rose was out of the question. She was four-months pregnant, and it was showing. She'd make an easy target for anyone.  
Sera was out of the question as well. She had clearly displayed her dislike of the male-gender, flirting with any and all the girls that worked with the Inquisition. She had also displayed and voiced her dislike of Elves in general, and Obsinion and Faize in particular. To take her along and actually expect her to do as told would only work if one of the female Heralds of Andraste was leading. Which none would be.  
So that left him, Faize, Iron Bull, and Cassandra. Faize wasn't feeling the best, but he'd always been told fresh air and a good ride were the Maker's medicine for the Spring Fever. He'd never had a chance to try it out, but this would be a decent opportunity. However, they were left without a mage, meaning any and all healing was going to have to come from the herbs and potions they carried on them.  
Obsinion called together the War Council. "Cullen, about this note here." he said, pointing out a hastily scrawled letter from Clan Lavellan. "Can you send some troops along with one of Lelianna's spies to get them? It's about damned time they started to do something aside from bitch about me and Faize. I know forcing them here could cause problems, but they first all but disown us, and now they're pleading for help. If they want it, they're going to have to move to Skyhold."  
Cullen nodded. "It can and will be done."  
Obsinion nodded, turning slightly when Cassandra came into the room. "Perfect, just who I needed here. How fast can you be ready to head for the Emerald Graves?"  
"Any time, why?"  
"Can you get Iron Bull and Faize? We've got some work to do." Obsinion replied.  
"I thought he was sick." said Rose.  
"He is, but it's a weeks ride to the Graves, and the air might actually do him some good."

Obsinion was right. It was week's ride to the Emerald Graves, even with them paired on two of the biggest and strongest horses Master Dennet owned.  
Once they reached the Graves, Iron Bull found himself having to put a pair of Elf-sized boots away in the saddlebag.  
"Where'd your brother go?" Cassandra asked as she handed the horses' reigns to the Inquisition scout that was out there.  
Obsinion pointed up, even as he was being briefed on the situation by their forwards scout, a pretty, freckle-faced Dwarf named Harding.  
"This place is beautiful." Harding was saying. "They say a tree grew here for every Elf who fell during the Exalted March on the Dales."  
"We are the last of the Elfhen, never again shall we submit." said Faize from a tree branch overhead.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything wrong by it." said Harding.  
"He didn't mean anything by it, either." said Obsinion. "It just happens to be his favorite passage from our history."  
"Well, enjoy the scenery." said Harding.  
Obsinion looked up."Where are your boots, Faize?"  
"With Bull." Faize replied as he walked from tree branch to tree branch.  
"It's like he has no fear." said Iron Bull. He suddenly darted ahead and caught Faize as the other slipped. He was rewarded with a kiss for his efforts and an attempt to get him up the tree as well.  
"He's not going to be supported by this one." said Obsinion, seeing that the Qunari really didn't want to climb.  
"I'm better off down here." Iron Bull added. "I can catch you if you slip again."  
Faize swatted his shoulder, then gave Iron Bull a much longer kiss before skittering back up the tree.  
"He's like a different person here." said Cassandra. "Why is that?"  
"Faize was sheltered, bar what Bull and I managed to find out. He was a hunter, and his skills far outmatched anyone from Clan Lavellan. They said he was blessed by Mythal, one of the Old Gods, and that is why his hunts are always as successful as they are." Obsinion replied. "And until we headed for the conclave, he never wore boots."  
There was the sudden slight whistle of an arrow sailing through the air, and further away someone shouted.  
"Tch, I missed." grumbled Faize. He notched another arrow.  
"What is he . . ?" asked Cassandra.  
"Question, before I shoot. These Freemen of the Dales."  
"What about them?"  
"Do they wear the colors of Tevinter?"  
Iron Bull looked up at that, and Obsinion checked the notes he'd taken from the reports. "Yes, they do."  
"Good." Faize drew the arrow back, and it sailed soundlessly through the air. There was a squishy thump on the other end, and Faize quickly skittered to another tree.  
"They know someone's here." whispered Obsinion. "Scatter, and pick them off as best you can."  
The others did as told, hiding around the trees as about seven soldiers appeared in the small clearing. The last one didn't make it, and fell dead with an arrow to the face.  
"What the?" asked the leader.  
Obsinion picked off another one that wandered close to his tree, grabbing him by the head and snapping his neck with a quick twist. He slipped silently over next to Cassandra.  
Iron Bull grinned. This was a tactic he hardly got to use with the Chargers. Reaching to a chain around his waist, he swung the hooked end quietly, then let it go sailing into the breeches of the closest soldier, yanking him back just as Faize shot another one. As soon as the guy was close, Iron Bull used the pointed handle of his axe and stabbed him right through the chest, cracking several bones and tearing up the guys heart. He was dead before he could even gurgle out a word.  
Faize skittered to another tree branch, this one over the last soldier. The guy was nowhere near the bases of the trees, so Obsinion and Cassandra couldn't get him. Iron Bull was getting the hook of his chain out of the last body, so that put him out. Gripping his hunting knife, Faize took a deep breath, then whistled.  
Naturally, they all looked up.  
"What is he doing?" asked Obsinion.  
Faize fell, free-falling towards the soldier, who was frozen in place. And that was his last move, as the knife was plunged into his neck, using Faize's weight to drive it through and kill the guy as the younger Elf landed.  
"That was an interesting move." said Iron Bull. "I picked over their pockets, since they're not going to need them. Some bandages and a few gold."  
"Thanks." Obsinion looked at his brother, all covered in blood. He didn't look like the picture of innocence that almost everyone painted him as. He looked like a hunter, like he used to. "Faize, you ok?"  
"A tree for every soldier." Faize whispered. "Are Mother and Father here?"  
There was silence. Obsinion had no idea how to answer. He'd found out from others that their parents had died against the Shems, but he had no idea Faize knew.  
"Why don't we look." said Iron Bull, seeing the awkwardness of the situation. "Imekari should know where his elders lie."  
"Huh?" asked Obsinion.  
"He said 'a child'." Faize replied. He sighed, looking a little lost, when a wind started to rustle the tree leaves.  
"What is it?" asked Cassandra.  
"Mythal." Faize whispered. He paused to listen.  
Obsinion put a finger up to hush the others, motioning that this was normal of Faize if he was hunting.  
All at once, Faize skittered up another tree, climbing over branches and around the trunks like . . .  
"Is he part squirrel?" asked Cassandra as they chased after him.  
"That's what everyone asks." Obsinion grinned. They came to a stop near a clearing, where a cluster of newer trees were growing, not yet strong enough to hold anyone's weight in their branches.  
Faize dropped down from his tree and walked closer, running his hands over each trunk until he reached two that looked like they were twisted together. He carefully ran his hand over the soft bark. He looked back at Obsinion. "They're here." he said. "These are our parent's trees."  
Obsinion swallowed and put his hand on the trunk. He had never been good at honoring the dead the way Faize did. He always figured that by continuing to live, he was doing them and their sacrifice a service.  
The wind rustled through the branches again, and the older Elf pulled his hand back. "Thanks, Faize. I think . . . it's good to know Mithal and Fen'Harel saw fit to let them rest here."  
Faize smiled. "Thanks, for letting me find them." he replied. He tilted a stone up and carefully etched into it the names of his and Obsinion's parents.  
"Adril and Nero?" asked Cassandra.  
"Yeah. Most people thought Mom was a guy when they first heard her name." said Obsinion.  
"So, which name is her's?" asked Iron Bull.  
"Adril." said Faize. "It was supposed to be in honor of a Shemlen that saved her mother when she was pregnant with our mother." He suddenly covered his mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean . . ."  
"It's alright." said Cassandra. "Human's have been called worse, and to be honest, I'm surprised it didn't come out sooner."  
"Mother always said Shemlen." Obsinion said. "Clan Lavellan was the same way. But Faize and I always said Human, because we figured if we didn't want to be called Knife-ear we should show some respect. We figured it was as bad as anyone calling a Dwarf a Dirt-digger or a Qunari an Oxman."  
Iron Bull nodded. "Though, some of us look more like oxes than others." He tilted his head, as though indicating to his own horns. "Gah!"  
Faize giggled from his new perch on Iron Bull's back. Leaning close the the Qunari's ear, he whispered something in Qunlat that made the larger man blush, then try to get Faize off his back.  
"They look perfect together." said Cassandra. "We should get going. Night will be upon us soon."  
Faize scampered up a tree, knowing the Iron Bull wasn't going to chase him up there. "Why don't we camp here?" he asked.  
Obsinion shook his head. "No. I don't feel comfortable resting here."  
"Ok." Faize set off across the branches again, watching the area around them. From his higher perch, he suddenly spotted something that shouldn't have been in the Emerald Graves: a Tevinter Camp. Setting his arrow on string, he made a clicking sound that sounded like a squirrel.  
Obsinion stopped the others, crouching low.  
"What is it?" Cassandra whispered.  
Obsinion clicked back at Faize, putting a hand up to hush the other two. This time, a bird call answered. "Tevinter." he answered. "Camp full of them." He leaned against a tree and clicked back at Faize.  
"What now?" asked Iron Bull, as quietly as he could.  
There was an owl's hoot, and Obsinion called back in like. "Seventeen soldiers. Six of those are archers."  
There was a songbird's whistle.  
"Four mages." Obsinion seemded to translate. "So that's seven foot soldiers."  
A crows caw.  
"Make that six and a gladiator."  
"Wonderful." said Cassandra. "What do we do?" She noticed Obsinion taking off his boots. "What are you doing?"  
"Playing bait." Obsinion replied, removing his gloves as well. "I'll leave my shield here. I'm going in pretending to be a lost Dalish Elf. When they get close enough, I need you two to sneak into the camp and wait for Faize to shoot into the crowd. He's going to use Overdraw, which means we can't count on him after that, given the probability of his passing out afterwards. It should take out a good number of them. We'll clean out the rest."  
Iron Bull and Cassandra nodded, crouching in the brush a distance away from where Obsinion would walk in.  
"Hey, who are you?" asked one of the Tevinter soldiers.  
"Have you seen my camp?" Obsinion asked. "I was gathering herbs, and seem to have lost my kinfolk."  
As hoped, the Tevinter came closer to him, allowing Iron Bull and Cassandra to slip into the camp undetected.  
"What makes you think we'd know where a bunch of Knife-ears are hiding?" demanded one of the mages.  
"I thought you Shems knew everything." Obsinion was definitely a good actor, that was for sure. He now had the whole camp around him.  
Overhead, Faize began to draw back his arrow, focusing on the Tevinter gathered around his brother. His best chance would end with seven Tevinter wounded or killed by his arrow, so he aimed that way. "Ashkost say Hissra (seek peace with your gods)." he said softly in Qunlat as he let the arrow fly.  
Six of the intended seven were actually struck with the arrow, and two more went down in rapid succession from more of the flying shafts of iron and wood. Iron Bull and Cassandra emerged from between the tents, and Obsinion drew his sword, fighting off the remaining Tevinter.  
One of the Tevinter Mages spotted Faize, notching another arrow to his bow, and sent a fireball his way just before Obsinion put his sword through the mage.  
A figure fell from the tree, flames lighting their decent, to land with a thud at the base.  
"Kadan!" shouted Iron Bull, slashing through the last Tevinter and running over to the fallen creature.  
It was Faize, dazed and burnt, but still alive. He shifted, trying to get up, but unable.  
"Faize, are you alright?" Obsinion asked.  
"Is he hurt?" Cassandra asked.  
Faize tried again to move, but the Iron Bull picked him up, pealing the burnt armor from him and leaving him in the under-tunic and the long underwear. His whole body shook, but he managed a smile for them before the effects of the Overdraw kicked in and he fainted.  
"Well, we should make use of their camp." said Obsinion. "I'll check if he's wounded inside."

"That word you shouted, when he fell." said Cassandra as she and the Qunari started a campfire. "What was it?"  
The Iron Bull didn't answer, only added a bit more wood to the fire before putting the meat over to cook.  
"I asked a question." Cassandra reminded.  
"And I'm choosing not to answer." the Qunari replied.  
"It had to have meant something."  
"It does." Iron Bull replied. "But it's something between me and him, no one else."  
"I could always ask Lotus." Cassandra said.  
Iron Bull frowned at her. "You do that, and I will leave this Inquisition."  
"You can't." Cassandra replied. "We both know it would hurt the little Elf immeasurably if you vanished."  
The Qunari looked over at the tent where Obsinion was tending to Faize's burn wounds. "My heart." he replied at length.  
"I'm sorry?"  
"The word. It means 'my heart'." Iron Bull replied. "I've been teaching Faize Qunlat so we can talk privately, so he knew what I said when he fell."  
"Odd way and time to tell him you love him." said Cassandra. "But I guess, not knowing how he's fairing, then was the only time to tell him."  
Obsinion stepped out of the tent, dimming the lantern inside before letting the flap close. He sighed as he sat down.  
"How bad is it?" Cassandra asked.  
"Bad." Obsinion replied. "He's awake, but if it wasn't for that numbing potion Leliana gave me before we left, he'd be screaming in pain." He wrung his hands. "I should never have brought him here."  
"Hey." said Iron Bull. "He came because you were his brother, not because you're the Inquisitor. He cares about you, and even if you'd told him to stay back at Skyhold, he'd have come. Faize isn't a child."  
"How old do you think we are?" Obsinion asked.  
"I guessed at about twenty, twenty-five at most." said Cassandra.  
"Same." said Iron Bull.  
"Well, your right." said Obsinion. "We're twenty-one. But Faize's mind, it stopped learning. I knew something was wrong with him we he kept getting scared. He stopped aging at about thirteen. It's why I get so cross with him trying to do certain things. He's too young in his mind to comprehend things. It's why I threatened you when you came to the Inquisition, regarding his . . . affection towards you. I was trying to protect my little brother."  
There was a moan from inside the tent, and Obsinion turned back, only to have a grey hand stop him.  
"I'll care for him." said Iron Bull. "You have . . . other duties." He ducked into the tent, turning the light up a little so he could see the wounds.  
Faize's chest was tightly bandaged, as was his right arm. Part of his face was covered as well. "Bull." he whispered.  
"It's alright, Kadan." The large man sat next to him. "What's the problem?"  
"Thirsty." Faize shuddered out. "It hurts."  
"Shh." The large Qunari propped Faize up a bit and let him drink from a canteen.  
"I'm cold." Faize whispered. "And the burns hurt, so much." He leaned close to the Iron Bull, despite the wounds that pressed on the larger man. "Please, just stay with me, emma lath(my love)."  
Iron Bull carefully put an arm around Faize. "No problem, Kadan."

Outside, Obsinion sat next to Cassandra. "What do you when the person you've grown up caring for starts to . . . do things on his own. Without your guidance."  
"You sound like a mother hen." said Cassandra. "I do not know. Anthony was always the one watching out for me, so I only know what it's like to suddenly have no-one to guide me. But I can offer one bit of assurance. He may be growing up and away from you, but you will always be his family."  
Obsinion nodded. "It kinda hurts, though."  
"What does?"  
"The fact that the Iron Bull can comfort him more than I can. But, I also feel a bit relieved." He put his hands into his pockets, his fingers finding the pair of rings Faize had worked so hard to make for him, since he'd noticed Obsinion was busy. He smiled softly.  
"There's the face I know." smiled Cassandra. "You are a caring person, better than most Humans I've seen with their own children or lovers. I know that, and he knows that."  
Obsinion carefully pulled out one of the rings. "Cassandra, I think he was trying to tell me something, before we left Skyhold to come here."  
"Oh, and what was that?" she asked.  
"I think he was telling me to stop worrying so much about him, and be a little selfish for once."  
"And? Are you?"  
"Depends on your next few words."  
Cassandra raised an eyebrow.  
"I don't know what a Human would say, but for a Dalish Elf, I would ask you to join with me for an eternity." Obsinion said, taking Cassandra's hand.  
She was startled, to say the least. "Are you . . . asking for marriage?"  
Obsinion nodded. "Will you become my wife?"  
Cassandra looked at Obsinion, deep into those large, purple eyes of his, at that sweet, loving, and mildly innocent face of his. "Yes, Obsinion Lavellan. I will become your bride and wife."  
From their place peeking out of the tent, Faize and Iron Bull smiled and let the tent flap fall back into place.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Upon Return to Skyhold

Faize was fairing no better the next morning, and to make matters worse, the burns were puffy now, cracked and bleeding. He couldn't even move his right hand properly without the wounds oozing. He still managed to stagger out of the tent and retrieve some water, though the Iron Bull was with him through the whole thing to keep him from getting lost.  
"Faize, how's your hand?" asked Obsinion.  
"It's cracked." Faize replied. He carefully wet the old bandage that was over it and held his hand out to be re-wrapped.  
"This doesn't look good." said Cassandra. She noticed Obsinion place a few Elfroot leaves over the burn before wrapping it up. "What will that do?"  
"Hopefully, it'll ease the pain in the cracked flesh." Obsinion replied. "It will also help fight against infection."  
Faize didn't climb the trees that day as they continued through the Emerald Graves, but instead kept his hand firmly on his bow, determined to not be a burden.  
His constant grunts and soft hisses of pain worried everyone in the group, though. They all knew he was burned up on the right side, but he kept trying to tough it out. After all, there was no other small team they could send through the Graves.  
It was mid-afternoon when they finished their sweep.  
"Doesn't look like there are any more of them here." said Obsinion. He looked back at the others. "Holding out ok?"  
Iron Bull shook his head, indicating to the Elf that now dozed in the crook of his arm. There was blood on most of the visible bandages, and an audible amount of pain in his breathing.  
"We should head back to Skyhold." said Cassandra. "The healers there can help, especially the one from Bull's Chargers."  
"Stitches is good at what he does." Iron Bull added. "He's been showing your healers a few of his tricks."  
Scout Harding came over with the horses. "He gonna be alright?"  
"We're hoping." Obsinion replied. "Keep a lookout, and don't harm the trees. Faize would have a fit if you did."  
"No problem, we're keeping mostly to the lanterns and small cooking fires using wood we brought. We should be out to our next location in a few days." The small Dwarf noticed the ring now gracing Cassandra's gloved finger, and that it matched the one on Obsinion. "By the way, congratulations."  
Iron Bull carefully tied Faize in a large sling to keep him on the horse, and close to him, as he sat up on the larger of the two horses. As soon as Obsinion and Cassandra were on their horse, it was a fast gallop back towards Skyhold, a weeks ride away.

Andraste was on their side, and the horses made it back to Skyhold three days ahead of schedule. Their entrance startled a lot of people, but Dennet and two of his men were there to settle the horses as they got off and headed for the healers.  
Faize kept himself close to Iron Bull. He was sore, feverish, and frightened. It didn't help that the healer that came over to him was a huge Human male. He gripped one of the straps on Iron Bull's chest, and the Qunari sighed.  
"Got someone smaller?" he asked, trying to be polite. "He's feverish."  
"Sorry, but the others are busy with the wounded that came back with Lady Muffy."  
Faize snorted at the name, but suddenly fell into a coughing fit that left him winded. He sighed, looking up at the man charged with his care for the moment. "Fine. But stay."  
Iron Bull carefully lay Faize on the mat, sitting nearby so Faize could see him. He watched as the healer first inspected the face burn, which was still red and puffy. As soon as he touched it, the Elf cried out, and the man pulled his hand back.  
"What is it?" Iron Bull asked.  
"You said he was feverish, not this." the healer said. "I will send for a priest."  
"Why?" Iron Bull asked.  
The man looked over at Faize, then back to the Qunari. "I'm not skilled enough at this. The priest may be able to help where I cannot, and at least if the poor thing is about to pass, he can give the rights."  
Iron Bull frowned, but nodded. "Get your priest, and be quick about it." He sat next to Faize and touched the other's face. "Kadan."  
Faize looked at him. "He said I'm going to die."  
"I won't let you." The Qunari carefully ran his hand over the wound. "This won't take you from me."  
Faize held up his burnt hand, touching Bull's with it. "I'm not ready to leave you yet." he said. "Ma'arlath.(I love you)"  
The priest walked over, and Iron Bull pulled his hand back. "How much of this poor thing is burned?" the priest asked.  
"Part of his face, right arm and hand, mostly the hand, some of his right side, right hip." Iron Bull replied. "Oh, and his right leg to the knee."  
The priest looked at the Qunari, then back at Faize. "And how long ago was this?"  
"Five, six days." Iron Bull looked at him. "Why?"  
"And you had no healer with you when it happened?" he asked, pulling Faize's tunic off to expose the bandage over his burns.  
"Nope. They all left with the other Qunari, your Tal-Vashoth Saarebas." Iron Bull replied. "We used what medicine we had on hand."  
The priest unraveled the bandage on Faize's arm, getting the healer to hold the lantern close enough to illuminate the area. "There's a second wrap over the wound."  
"Actually, that's Rashvine." came a voice. "The other Elf used it when he was hurt back in Haven." The healer walked over. "Hey, I know you. You're the Inquisitor's little brother. Let's see what's happened." She carefully unwound the Rashvine, carefully peeling away pieces of Elfroot as she went. "Well, there is hope."  
"So, how bad?" asked Iron Bull.  
"Oh, it's bad, but not as bad as it could have been." said the healer. She took a cloth from a bucket and gently washed the wounds. "I heard Master Dennet say you must have ridden those horses hard to get here as fast as you did. So it's a good guess you didn't get much time to wash these wounds."  
Iron Bull watched, amazed that this girl was able to figure this much out already.  
"The Rashvine's old, and the Elfroot was flaking as well, meaning the last time these were properly tended to was a few days ago. I'm going to clean you up, then re-bandage you before sending you to your room to rest." The healer said. "It's alright if you want the Qunari to stay. Everyone's got someone they feel comfortable around."  
"Thank you." Faize whispered.  
The priest looked at her. "I thank you for helping him. I had no idea Rashvine could be used like that."  
"I left my notes out on the main table, if you'd like to read them over." the healer said as she washed the burns on Faize's chest. "By the way, what happened that you got burnt like this?"  
Faize motioned for Iron Bull to tell her.  
"Well, we came across some Tevinter Vashedan (crap), and Faize was shooting them from up in a tree when some Tevinter Mage tossed a fireball at him. Knocked him clean out of the tree, too. He managed to tough out most of the next day for us to finish sweeping the area to make sure they were all gone, but by the end of it, he was weary. Boss said we should head back, and I carried him on the horse as best I could to get here as fast as we could."  
"Well, there is some good news, for him at least." said the healer.  
Faize turned his head to show he was listening.  
"The burns below your waist are almost healed. It must have only been from the heat that those ones even came into existence. Most of the damage is to your arm, shoulder, upper torso, and face. Even there, with the proper care, your face should be as good as new when it's healed."  
"Thanks." Faize tried to stand, but tripped. Iron Bull caught him and walked him out of the healers area to the castle.  
"I don't want to bother Obsinion." Faize said as they started towards the large set of stairs.  
Iron Bull nodded and turned, guiding him instead to the newly repaired room that he'd been given. "Nice to see it fixed up." he said as he sat Faize on the side of the bed. "So, I had a question."  
"Ask. I may not know the answer, but I'll try."  
"Where are those Dragon's Teeth you retrieved?"  
Faize smiled at him. "What would you need one for?" he countered as he looked for his quiver. "Have you seen my arrows?"  
"Leaned on the wall." the Qunari replied. "And don't answer my questions with more questions."  
Faize retrieved the quiver, picking one arrow that had red feathers out of the collection of otherwise white feathered arrows. He didn't pull it out the whole way, though. "But I want to know." he said, sitting again.  
"It's for something important." Iron Bull replied.  
"Something like this?" Faize asked, pulling the arrow out the rest of the way. There, tied to the end, was a Dragon's Tooth, split evenly in two, and turned into the Qunari promise charms. "I made them before we left. I wanted to give you yours while we were out in the Emerald Graves, but I never got the chance. Iron Bull, you're my everything, and I want you to know that."  
The Qunari was speechless for a moment, then carefully gathered Faize close. "Kadan." he purred, carefully stroking that almost-black hair.

Obsinion groaned as he was practically attacked from all sides about what the Inquisition was going to do next. Still, he marched his way over to the War Table and slammed the doors in five or six noble faces.  
"I just got back." he groaned. "Ok, what news do you, my Councillors, have for me? And I don't see your report, Muffy."  
"Sorry, just finishing it." she replied, still scribbling in the corner of the room.  
"We've done what we can for Clan Lavellan. The Elves that were still alive were more than grateful to come under the fold of the Inquisition, and should be here with the soldiers in a few days." Cullen reported.  
"And you and Rose?" Obsinion asked.  
"I beg your pardon?" Cullen returned.  
"As Faize would put it, you made a baby with her, make her an honest woman." Obsinion looked at him. "Or at least keep her in your room so we have some more space for the consistent influx of the faithful and devout."  
Rose punched Cullen. "I told you." she said.  
"Alright." Cullen sighed. He spotted the ring Obsinion was wearing and raised an eyebrow.  
"Josephine, how goes the attempt to get an invitation to the Grande Ball?"  
"We've managed to get one, but it is as the guests of Grand-Duke Gaspard, Empress Celene's cousin."  
"Fair enough. It's an invitation, and a chance to try and keep her majesty on her throne." Obsinion replied. "How early do we have to leave Skyhold in order to get there?"  
"A week." Josephine replied. "It should give you enough time to seal the agreement between you and your lady."  
Obsinion blushed. "So, you noticed?" he asked.  
"Who couldn't?" teased Leliana. "I saw Cassandra. Congratulations."  
Cullen just remained silent a moment, dumbstruck, before sputtering out, "C-C-Cassandra?"  
"Yes." Obsinion replied. "I'll see how she wants this done." He looked over the notes and requests on the War Table. "What is this?"  
"It's for Lotus." said Leliana. "Apparently the mercenaries she was working with have managed to track down where she is, and are now asking to be a legitimate group of the Inquisition, so long as they actually get paid."  
"If she doesn't have a problem with it, I don't see why not. It'll give them honest work, instead of just thug-duty." Obsinion replied. "But anything they do goes through her."  
"Very well." said Leliana.  
"About the Ball at Halamshiral." said Josephine. "How many members of the Inquisition are going?"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Grand Ball at Halamshiral

"I hate shirts." Iron Bull grumbled.  
"It'll be alright." Faize cooed, trying to soothe his date and guardsman. The other Heralds of Andraste had voted to all go, each with a date, plus Leliana. This would present the best showing of the Inquisition, while being enough for one or two to slip away to find the assassin that was after Celene's life.  
"I agree with Iron Bull." said Solas, tugging his own tunic. It was made of red velvet, with gold shoulders, and a blue sash and belt. The pants were also blue, and black boots that came up to the knees.  
It was the same for everyone, making the entrance of the Inquisition that much more imposing. Several people whispered about there being Elves in the group, and one person had the gall to call Muffy a 'little person', only to find her dress suddenly had a fruit stain upon the ass.  
"Muffy, don't embarrass the Inquisition." Josephine reminded. She sighed, ashamed slightly that she was here not only as one of the Montilyet Family, but also as Muffy's date. If word of this got out to the nobles, her family would be ruined.  
"There you are." said Gaspard. He was dressed in the traditional stuffy nobility attire, including the mask. He began talking to Obsinion and Cassandra, so it was easy for Faize to start the investigation and slip away from the group, slipping into one of the storage rooms nearby and check for any clues. None were really found, until his newly-healed hand came across a sticky substance. Upon closer inspection, it was blood. Slipping out, Faize rejoined the Inquisition as they entered the Winter Palace, and no guests were any the wiser.  
Immediately, there was gossip surrounding Rose and her five-month frame, which was even more pronounced with the uniform they were all wearing. But The Game was one of the Human Herald's favorite pastimes, and with Cullen in tow, she joined the collection of nobles.  
Muffy found herself following Josephine and talking with the young Ambassador's younger sister, sharing a few stories and gaining the favor of a few other nobles that were close at hand.  
Lotus and Solas found there way towards the courtyard, where the Elf was able to slip away to check on what had caused the blood spatter on the marble stones below a balcony. Since Lotus was the taller, and more obvious one of the pair, it was no problem to distract the nobles and let the Elf do the work.  
But it was the entrance to the actual ballroom that left the biggest impression on the Nobles, and Empress Celene.  
"Introducing Grand-Duke Gaspard, cousin to her Imperial Majesty Empress Celene. Accompanying him, Inquisitor Obsinion Lavellan and his brother, Herald Faize Lavellan, of the Inquisition."  
The two Elves stepped carefully down to the floor, keeping in step with Duke Gaspard.  
"Accompanying the Herald, The Iron Bull of the Qunari. Accompanying the Inquisitor, Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena - "  
"Get on with it!" Cassandra snapped. Both Lavellan were hard pressed not to laugh, or be shocked at the list of names. They were already halfway across the ballroom floor!  
" - Lavellan. Fourteenth cousin to the King of Nevarra, nine times removed. Hero of Orlais, Right Hand of the Divine, Wife of the Inquisitor."  
"Did they have to add that last part?" Faize whispered to Obsinion. "You just got married a week ago."  
"It's part of the title." Obsinion replied. They came to a stop at the end of the ballroom floor, looking up to see Empress Celene.  
"Inquisition, I welcome you to the Winter Palace."  
Faize made a polite bow, but said nothing. Beside him, Obsinion also bowed, and said, "The pleasure is ours, Your Grace."  
Behind them, Iron Bull and Cassandra also bowed, and then the two pairs departed the floor to mingle with the Nobles.  
"So, bride of the Inquisitor?" asked one Noble. "It must be a great boon to your family standing."  
Cassandra wanted to rip the old hag a new one, but instead she simply replied, "We've only been married a short while. It is . . . comforting to know I'm the one he can depend on after a long day of work."  
Obsinion walked over. "Cassandra, Darling? There's someone who wants to meet with us."  
"Excuse me." Cassandra gave a sigh of relief once she was away. "I thought they would never stop hounding me about our marriage."  
"You too, huh? I wish that Herald had shut his mouth, but apparently Grand-Duke Gaspard made the change to the way the list went." Obsinion guided her over to where Leliana stood. "So?"  
"There is an assassin here." Leliana replied. "Solas found several dead servants, all Elves, and said he was attacked by a harlequin." She glanced around. "Also, Faize has found evidence against Grand-Duke Gaspard. Apparently, he has been sneaking mercenaries into the palace during the ball."  
"So, Gaspard is our assassin?" asked Obsinion.  
Muffy and Josephine slipped over. "Not quite." said Muffy. "We found more evidence, but it points to a person closer to Celene, at least tonight."  
"And that is?" asked Cassandra.  
Faize slipped over, The Iron Bull standing at the buffet table behind them and sparing no details on the Dragon they had hunted a few months ago to keep the Nobles from noticing the little conversation.  
"Oh, he's good at this." said Cassandra. "So who?"  
"We're not sure, but the dancing is going to begin shortly." Muffy replied.  
Just then, a lady with white hair tapped Faize on the shoulder. "Herald?"  
"Can I help you?" Faize asked as the rest of the group dispersed.  
"Yes, actually." she said. "You see, I'm without a partner tonight . . ."  
"Would you care to dance?" Faize offered, politely cutting her off. He and Iron Bull had discussed the fact that while they were together, until the Assassin was found, they couldn't look like an item.  
Several Nobles came to the edges of the upper halls as Faize and the woman stepped down onto the ballroom floor. The music began, and Faize easily took the lead, following the flow of the music and the steps Josephine had taught them. He spotted Obsinion and Cassandra dancing as well, and to the humor or embarrassment of the Inquisition, Rose and Cullen. Still, he kept his attention on his partner.  
"You seem to be new to the courts, and to The Game." the woman said.  
"Why don't you educate me, then?" Faize replied as the pace quickened a bit.  
"A coy one, I see. You are just as stories tell of you. Be careful, there are those here tonight that would use it to harm or help you, in equal measures."  
"And which one are you?" Faize asked, keeping in time with the music as it slowed down again.  
The woman laughed lightly. "Why don't you figure that out." she smiled.  
Faize continued the dance. "Who is it you trust?" he asked as he spun her around gently.  
"I trust no one. Especially tonight, when they are all wearing masks."  
"Isn't everyone?" Faize asked, dipping her back as the music ended.  
"I see you at least know how to play with the words the right way, Lavellan." the woman said before walking away.  
Faize quickly left the ballroom floor, only to be greeted with several Nobles clapping and whispering. "Did I do something wrong?" Faize asked of Josephine once he found her.  
"That was Grand Duchess Florianne." said Josephine. "And you danced with her. This will the talk for nights to come."  
"Given that under her left sleeve, as well as in her bodice she had daggers, I'd say so." Faize replied.  
"Daggers?" Leliana asked.  
"Yeah, I was sure of it." He held up one finger. "I got poked when I dipped her."  
"So, now we know who the assassin is." said Leliana.  
Just then, Empress Celene stepped out, the Duchess and Gaspard beside her, along with an Elf. This was going to be the start of the peace talks.  
"Cullen, try to detain the Duchess." Obsinion whispered. He'd been close enough to hear Faize's findings.  
Cullen nodded, and began to try to get close.  
Faize looked over at Iron Bull, who turned so his back was to Faize and let the fold-out bow drop from the back of his shirt into the Elf's hands.  
"Your Majesty, watch out!" shouted Lotus, and just in time. Florianne drew her knife, but stopped short as an arrow struck the railing near her.  
"Move another inch, and the next one goes through your head." said Faize. "Hiding knives in your bodice to kill Celene wasn't a bright idea."  
"What?" Celene asked. "But Florianne . . ."  
"Corypheus promised me a seat in his new Empire. While you flirt with this damned Elf and fight with my brother, I'm the only one trying to make Orlais better."  
"Corypheus is going to destroy the world." said Obsinion. "And we know you know it."  
Florianne gripped her knife tighter and went to attack Celene, only to drop to the ground after being spun around like a top.  
"I warned her." Faize said, re-folding the bow. "Don't worry, it was only the shoulder. I didn't have a clear shot to get her head."  
"Arrest her!" Celene ordered. "And as for the Heralds of Andraste, I'd like it you all could come with me for a moment."  
The five Heralds walked to the back garden with Celene, Gaspard, and the Elf.  
"Briala?" Obsinion asked.  
"Do I know you?" the Elf asked.  
"Obsinion, formerly of Clan Dale, now Clan Lavellan."  
"Oh, shite. I didn't know it was you." She smiled.  
"You know her?" Lotus asked.  
"Six years my senior in the clan where Faize and I were born." Obsinion replied. "She taught us to fish."  
"Seeing as how you helped stop a tragedy, it's only fitting that you five be a part of these Peace Talks." said Celene.  
"Of course they will support the rightful ruler." snorted Gaspard.  
"I don't think so, Mr. Mercenaries-in-the-palace." said Lotus. "Your 'guard' gave you up after Muffy saved him from a Fade Rift. The papers Faize found also support this."  
"Oh, and let's not forget the noble with Gaspard's engraved dagger in the back." added Muffy.  
"What?" Celene asked. "Gaspard, you are cast out of the family, and stripped of all titles and land, to be banished to the Free Marches."  
"What?"  
"Remove him." Celene said, and the guards stepped forward, taking Gaspard away.  
"You know, Briala was helpful in finding this stuff out." said Muffy.  
"Thank you." Celene said. "I am grateful for what you all have done, both for me and for Orlais."  
Faize stayed out on the balcony as the rest went inside to announce the new peace in Orlais, and about Gaspard's treachery. Presently, he felt a large hand rest on his shoulder.  
"So, you ready to ditch this place?" Iron Bull asked.  
"Not yet." Faize replied. "I believe that before we got here, you asked me to a dance."  
"That's true." Iron Bull smiled at him. "So, want to drop the Gaatlok on the party?" (Gaatlok is a Qunari explosive powder, similar to gunpowder or a bomb)  
Faize smiled up at him. "Taarsidath-an Halsaam."  
"Same here." Iron Bull took Faize's hand and walked back into the ballroom.  
Cullen, Cassandra, Lotus, and Muffy saw where this was going, and each took their respective partners down to the ballroom floor.  
"What is going on?" Obsinion asked. Right before the music started.  
"When this is over, every woman will be envious of the Inquisition." Muffy whispered to Josephine.  
"And every man will want to be in the Inquisition." Cullen added as the dance continued.  
Faize only focused on the Iron Bull. His Iron Bull. _Hand up against the other's, walk with your other hand behind your back three steps left, turn, other way six steps, his hand against your hip, and lean back into the dip,_ he reminded himself. Of all the pairs on the ballroom floor, the two Lavellan were the most graceful, and everyone had their eyes on them.  
Cassandra smiled at Obsinion as he lightly spun her around, catching her hand so her back was to his chest. _Three steps left and forward, turn so she was facing him, and dip._ She could see he was subtly mouthing the steps to himself as they continued. Still, it was bliss. He was dancing with her, to show the entirety of Orlais that they were together, a couple, and that nothing could tear them apart.  
Iron Bull noticed Faize's focus was on him, and that the young Elf didn't realize that he was letting the entire Orlesian Court see that there was something between them. Still, this was a rare opportunity to dance, and he was going to enjoy it.  
_Hands in his, step back, let right hand go, turn inwards so back is against chest, tilt head down as he takes your hand back so arms are crossed, two steps forward and left, arms over head, lean back into the dip._ Faize kept his focus on Iron Bull, even as the music stopped.  
"The younger Lavellan, he's with the Qunari?" "Can't be, the Qunari showed no interest in him."  
There was a mass gasp as Faize, still slightly dazed, put his arms up around the Iron Bull's neck and gave him a warm, loving kiss. This gasp was doubled when Cassandra did one better, grabbing Obsinion by the ass as she kissed him.  
"Cassandra?" Obsinion asked as they departed the ballroom floor.  
"Let them be jealous." said Cassandra as she dragged Obsinion out of the Winter Palace.  
"You grabbed my ass." Obsinion said.  
"Point?" she asked him. "They already knew we were married. I want them to know we are together, and that I am only yours, like you are mine."  
Obsinion sighed, just knowing Josephine was going to go stark-raving nuts trying to smooth this one out. He spotted Iron Bull leading Faize out, and the paired charms that now hung obviously around their necks. Softly, he sighed.  
"Come on. There is a tavern and inn not far from here." said Cassandra. "I want to spend the night with just you."  
Turned out, it wasn't really just them, considering the Iron Bull seemed to have the same idea. Bonus points to their rooms being on opposite ends of the inn portion, and the Chargers being loud enough when drinking to cover up anything they might do that night.  
And do things they did. Obsinion had only just shut the door when Cassandra kissed him, hard and passionate. She practically tore his shirt from him, leaving little brass buttons flying everywhere as she stripped him in a moment of heated passion.  
Obsinion caught the passion, and tore her shirt off her as well, making more brass buttons go flying. Several times, he kissed her, hot and passionate and sloppy, before they separated slightly, a string of saliva trailing between their lips. Hot, panted breath came from both of them, and then, they made quick work of finishing unclothing themselves.  
It was Obsinion who grabbed Cassandra, pulling her down into the large bed and kissing her. His hands wandered down her nicely toned body, ghosting over her nice hips before grabbing her ass and giving a playful squeeze.  
Cassandra smiled at him. "Flirt." she said, rutting her hips against his heavy erection.  
Obsinion paused, looking at her with care, compassion, and love. "Cassandra, my dear."  
"Yes, love?"  
"I was wondering something."  
"What is it?" she asked, kissing him tenderly.  
"Do . . . do you want children?" he asked.  
Cassandra smiled at him. "Anything you would give me would be the most beautiful thing in the world." she said, wrapping her arms around him. "So to answer your question, yes."  
Obsinion smiled up at her, then suddenly reversed their positions on the bed, putting Cassandra lying in the crimson sheets, his hands pinning hers to either side. Without even needing to guide himself, Obsinion rubbed against her slit, then pierced her.  
Cassandra moaned, writhing in the sheets beneath him. She managed to wrestle a hand out of his grasp and pulled him down for another kiss. "I love you." she panted before kissing him again.  
Obsinion let her other hand go, pulling her up into his lap so he was holding her ass and pounding up into her.  
"Oh." Cassandra wrapped her arms around his shoulders, grinding herself down on his dick like he was the only thing that mattered, which he was in her mind.  
With a loud grunt, Obsinion emptied his load into her, and she moaned and sagged against him, but there was no indication of wanting to stop.  
It was going to be a long night.

(while Cassandra and Obsinion are attempting to procreate)  
Iron Bull held Faize close, gently caressing Faize's hair. "Kadan." he whispered softly.  
Faize looked up at him, his small hand wandering down his Qunari lover's chest, carefully undoing the belt and slipping his hand into the larger man's pants to palm his erection. "You need me, don't you?" he asked.  
Iron Bull smirked back at him. "If your willing."  
It stung Faize a little, but he didn't let it show. He hated being reminded that the Iron Bull did turn to others for his sexual relief as well, but he had to remind himself that his lover was a Qunari. Instead, he took his hand out of Bull's pants and started to meticulously undo each of the brass buttons on the other's shirt, then the buttons on his own. Reaching up again, he slid the soft material off the strong shoulders and chiseled arms, letting his own jacket fall from his body as well.  
Iron Bull grunted, knowing Faize was doing this on purpose. His pants fell in a similar manner to the way his shirt did, and he kicked off his boots while Faize finished undressing. "You tease." he scolded, putting an arm around the other.  
It had taken a few tries, several weeks, to coax Faize out of falling into the trance of abuse every time they were together. Allowing the Elf to undress himself was one way to keep him from falling into the trance; another was to constantly talk to him, tell him he was doing good, to keep him from hurting himself during the sex in order to please someone who wasn't even there.  
Faize gently took Iron Bull's hand, carefully taking a finger into his mouth and licking it, swinging his hips lightly to tease Bull further. The things he'd been taught meant nothing when flirting with a Qunari, that was for sure. Still, he'd discovered that the feel of his body moving against the other was pleasing, not only for Iron Bull, but for himself, too.  
Bull figured it was time to take control and pulled his hand away from Faize's mouth, pulling the smaller closer and lifting him up against his chest, holding one leg sideways while his other hand found the twitching entrance.  
"What is your hold-word?" Bull asked.  
Faize frowned at him. "Katoh." he replied. He could feel Bull's finger rubbing against his wanting entrance.  
"And your name?"  
Faize smirked. "Kadan." he whispered, just before kissing Bull. He moaned as the finger pushed inside him, gasping as he was stretched.  
"Wrong answer, but I'll let it slide." Bull whispered back to him as he started to thrust his finger in and out of Faize's tight entrance. You'd think after lying with the Qunari so many times he'd be looser, but this was one of the benefits of being an Elf.  
"Oh." Faize clung the Bull's neck, his nails digging into the skin. "Bull." he gasped.  
The Qunari slipped a second finger into Faize as he carefully maneuvered them to the bed. "Relax." he soothed as he sat down, letting Faize straddle his legs. "You're doing well."  
"Oh, Kadan." Faize gasped out. His cock was straining, as was Bull's, and the two engorged organs were just barely touching each other, causing more torture to the younger.  
"Ready?" Bull asked, using his thumb to spread the pre-cum over his thick organ.  
Faize nodded, feeling empty as soon as Bull's fingers left his ass. He clung to the other as the crown of Bull's cock pressed against him, trying to relax. The soft kisses and the light tickle of Iron Bull's beard on his neck helped, and he sank almost bonelessly onto the hard organ.  
Bull grunted. Faize always felt good. Better than the others he used as tension relief. The Elf always felt tight inside, warm and wanting. Tonight was no exception, and as soon as he was sure Faize had adjusted, he began to fuck him.  
Faize wailed and moaned, letting it all out as they had sex. He loved it when Bull had sex with him. The other was so good, knowing just when to go slowly and when to pick things up. He wanted Bull to depend on him and only him for this, and it hurt when ever he went past his lovers room, only to hear someone else in there with _his_Qunari.  
Their sex went on for a while, filled with grunts, groans, moans of lusty pleasure. Faize lost count of how many times he came, but there was enough white cream over their fronts to be able to stick them together for a while. His body felt full, and he was bloating from the amount of Qunari cum that was loaded into him. He flopped against Iron Bull, worn and tired.  
Bull carefully detached their bodies, surprised when Faize tried not to let any drip out. A failure, given he'd been held open like that for a good portion of the night, but still endearing that he wanted to keep at least some of Bull inside.  
"Your name?" Bull asked. He always asked this, to make sure Faize never fell into that trance of abuse.  
"Kadan." Faize whispered before dropping to sleep.  
"Close enough." Bull replied, lying down with his lover lying on top of his muscular chest. He gently caressed Faize's dark hair, admiring the delicate creature that cuddled into him.  
He knew Faize knew that he wasn't the only one the Iron Bull lay with, and the Qunari felt a bit upset about that. He'd done all he could to try and let Faize believe he was the only one, but he knew it was in vain. The times he'd seen Faize leaning against the stonework outside of his room afterwards, when he knew the other person had come out only an hour before, it was heartbreaking. Faize had even gone as far as to make the charms, and he knew that the Elf wanted more. But how? A Qunari's sexual needs were rather extreme, and things would only get worse with the coming of the change of seasons. It would be the Qunari breeding season, at least back home. Iron Bull himself had never been bred, but he was still affected by it, often having to go to the 'sex shop' to pop his cork more often than usual. To expect Faize to be able to withstand his need to 'do the deed' every second day was unthinkable, and yet to see that disappointed face every time he had to ask someone else was just as unbearable.  
After a while, Iron Bull let Faize lie on the bed by himself while he went to clean up, then brought a basin and cloth back to clean up his lover. As he cleaned the fresh bruises, his eyes fell to the lightly discolored skin where Faize had taken the Fireball. The worst scaring was across the Elf's arm and side, while the mark on his face had vanished entirely along with the ones on his hip and leg. It took Faize three days to loose the bruises, but during breeding season, Bull would need sex at most every day, at least every three. Faize would consistently be graced with new bruises, and possibly new scars if he were to solely rely on the Elf. Of course, the other option was to continue as he had been, but the image of Faize's sad face kept haunting him. He needed another answer.  
As the sun rose, Bull dressed himself in his standard battle gear and clothed Faize in the only thing he could find, which was the fancy outfit from the party. Carrying the sleepy Elf out to the horses, he noticed Obsinion standing out there.  
"How hard did you ride him?" Obsinion asked as Faize was put in the back of the wagon he was preparing for the trip back.  
"Fairly." Iron Bull replied. He sighed.  
"Something wrong?" Obsinion asked.  
"I'm not sure what to do." The Qunari explained the upcoming problem to Obsinion, and Cassandra as well when she came out to get into the wagon. The pair were silent as he told them, then quiet for a while afterwards.  
"Faize has changed since you came into his life." said Obsinion. "I don't doubt your concerns for him, and I don't doubt his disappointment in you for turning to others for your, um, sexual needs."  
Iron Bull nodded.  
"He's just not voicing it, because of what you are. But think for a moment. He's doing everything_ Qunari_ for you." Obsinion said as he started the wagon. "Do you think, just maybe, there might be something _Elven_ that you could do for him?"  
The ride back to Skyhold was a quiet one.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Something Elven

Faize finished looking over the library of books, grunting in frustration. They had been home now for two weeks. The seasons were starting to change, and the remaining fourteen members of Clan Lavellan were finally at Skyhold. And of those, six were his former tormentors.  
"Looking for something?" Dorian asked.  
"Elven literature." Faize replied. He didn't like Dorian. The man was too friendly to be normal, and seemed to be trying to flirt with him.  
"Any particular subject?" Dorian asked, walking over.  
Faize found the book he was looking for and scooped it off the shelf before Dorian got close. "Nope, found it." He scurried off, pausing next to the door of the Iron Bull's room. There was a frustrated sound from inside, but no sounds of sex or tension relief. He kept going, lest he be the cause of such wrath.  
Obsinion walked over and knocked on the door. "Need any help?" he asked as he stepped in.  
Iron Bull let out a frustrated huff of air and looked back at him. "This is confusing." he admitted.  
"What, reading the book, or following the instructions?"  
"Both." the man replied. "I only understand Dalish, I don't read it."  
"Oh." Obsinion dropped another book on Iron Bull's desk. "I thought that might cause an issue, so I asked someone to translate my other copy for you. Didn't tell them who it was for, just that someone needed a Dalish book translated. They honestly thought it was for Solas."  
Iron Bull snorted. "Him, in a romance? Only if Adaar can convince him she's worth his time."  
"A little impossible, seeing as how he's stubbornly pro Elf-Elf relationship." Obsinion sighed. "How's the personal tension?"  
"It's awkward, and leaves me walking weird, like I was the one getting fucked." Iron Bull replied. "But, I haven't asked anyone to do it for me."  
Obsinion nodded. "Good. I think Faize has noticed."  
"And?"  
"I'm not sure. He was heading down into the Undercroft with another book, so I think he's trying to find out what he can do."  
The Qunari nodded. "Well, if this tension gets any more, he'll be the one walking funny tonight."  
Obsinion snickered. "I'll let him know to head for your room tonight."

Faize stepped into the Undercroft, then took an unused door to a lower part of Skyhold. Lighting his lantern, he wedged himself securely into a corner and started reading. He didn't understand a lot of the arcane diagrams, but he was trying. There had to be a way to get the Iron Bull to look only at him.  
He knew one thing: Bull liked red-heads. Idly, he tugged on some of his dark hair. There was some red cloth dye, it might work if the need arose.  
Faize kept reading, trying to find other ways. There, an old magic. Not Blood magic, but still arcane. He looked over what was needed. White chalk, a special rune, a few candles, someone who could channel the magic, and Dalish body paint, used for their celebrations. This would actually be easy to do, provided he could get one of their mages to help him.  
The first step was the rune. He had an empty rune-stone, and the Undercroft had an Arcanist, so he'd start there.  
"Excuse me." said Faize.  
"Hmm? Oh, hey. Looking for something?" asked the Dwarf.  
"Yeah. I need to make a special rune." said Faize.  
"Oh, you have the diagram for it?" she asked. When Faize showed her, she giggled.  
"What's so funny?" Faize asked.  
"That's a rune for Life." she explained. "As in, making life. Is this for your brother?"  
"Something like that." Faize replied.  
"Ok, we can make this." The Dwarf helped Faize craft the rune perfectly. "There we go. Is it being set in anything?"  
"Not yet. I don't know what to set it in yet." Faize replied. "I might slip it in the headboard of the bed, though."  
She laughed. "Good luck."  
Faize headed out of the Undercroft, headed for where Clan Lavellan had taken up residence. He watched, waiting for all of them to be out of the small area before slipping in and collecting the small jar of paint.  
"Faize, what are you doing?" Obsinion asked as he spotted his brother looking over a few of the candles.  
"Huh?" He put his small bag of items down, making sure it was tied so Obsinion wouldn't know what was going on. "Oh, Obsinion."  
"You're acting skittish again. Were you being bullied?"  
Faize shook his head.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I'm just . . . there's something I'm trying to get done." he said.  
"Dorian said you took the old Dalish book of Arcane Magic out of the library."  
"I just thought maybe there would be something I could make." Faize said.  
"What?"  
"A rune." Faize replied. "But, I didn't find it."  
"Oh." Obsinion looked at the collection of candles. "Why are you looking at these?" he asked. "Their all scented."  
"I was hoping there was one that might help." he replied. "You know, Bull has been sounding frustrated for a while. I was hoping to find one that might help him relax a bit."  
Obsinion sighed. "He has been tense." he replied. "He came to me, asking what he could do to stop disappointing you. Needless to say, I told him flat out."  
"But he's a Qunari." Fiaze said. "He'll always need someone else to help him." He idly fingered a candle that had flower oils infused into it. "It's just the way things are."  
"You know, since that thing at the Winter Palace, he's been doing his best not to ask others." said Obsinion.  
"But, we haven't done anything since then." said Faize.  
"Yeah." Obsinion scratched the back of his head. "He'd like your company tonight. And probably most of tomorrow."  
Faize nodded. He'd get this done soon.  
"By the way, that candle might be a good idea." Obsinion said as he left.  
Faize looked down at the one he was holding. The one with a flowery scent. He picked it up and placed it in the bag, along with the twelve other candles he'd picked up. He had the chalk, so now all he needed was a mage.  
Lotus was the first one that crossed his path, and as soon as he mentioned wanting to try something with magic, she turned him down. He wasn't about to ask Dorian, that mage had a big mouth. So the next option was Solas.  
The bald Elf was curious as to what Faize had in mind, but looked a little wary when the other mentioned it was old magic, arcane and might be dangerous.  
"You're sure you want to even try it, then?" he asked, following Faize to the small room near the Undercroft.  
"I have to." Faize said. "This is something I need to do."  
Solas could see that the other Elf was determined to do this. "Let me know when your ready, and I'll channel the magic for you." He waited outside the room, knowing that whatever Faize was trying to do, it was most likely borderline Blood Magic. Still, the other felt it was something that needed to be done, and he would rather be it an experienced mage helping the youth rather than an inexperienced one.  
"You can come in." Faize said after a moment. "Bar the door. I don't want this disturbed. It could kill both of us, then."  
Solas looked at the way things were laid out. Faize knelt within a six-pointed star, his body covered in Dalish runes for life and the giving thereof. Twelve candles, each scented like new flowers, were lit around him, six on the points and six on the crossed lines.  
He knew this magic. It was old, and used to try and cure sterility in females. It was also occasionally used by males when there were too many in a Clan, and that was where it was dangerous. Still, Solas channeled the magic as Faize began the chant to set the magic in motion. They had to both chant it, first Faize, then Solas, in order for it to work.  
Faize finished the chant, shuddering as he felt the rune stone placed inside him begin to do it's work. He couldn't flinch, couldn't cry out. It would change the magic, he couldn't risk that. He could hear Solas repeating the chant, and the magic at work.  
The ground shook, alerting the rest of Skyhold that something was up. Outside the door, they could hear Obsinion asking what was going on. One of the two forge workers must have mentioned Faize and Solas behind the door, because there was banging next as the older Elf tried to get in.  
The magic swirled around Faize, and then, there was a flash of light. Obsinion managed to smash the door inwards as the light faded, and Faize fell over, weak and unconscious.  
"Faize!" He tried to run over, but Solas blocked his path. "Let me through! He's hurt!"  
"He is fine." Solas replied. "You cannot enter the circle."  
"But . . ." Obsinion looked over at his brother, who shifted slightly. "What did you do to him?"  
"I did nothing." Solas replied. "He asked for aid in something magical, and I lent it to him, nothing more."  
Faize carefully pushed himself up to a sitting position, then looked up. The candles around him had all snuffed out, leaving only the lantern to light the room. Thus, Obsinion couldn't properly see the marks painted to his body. "I'm alright, Obsinion. Just give me a moment, and I'll go help him."  
Solas nodded, turned and left the room.  
"What were you doing, Faize?" Obsinion asked.  
"I was doing something, so I could help."  
"What?" Obsinion asked, catching Faize as the other staggered out of the circle.  
"Making myself a little stronger, so Bull doesn't have to strain himself waiting for me." Faize replied. His legs felt weak, his lower body numb. "Can I have my tunic?"  
Obsinion sat him down, grabbing the tunic and pants. "You sure your ok? You sound tired."  
"I'll be fine." Faize replied, dressing himself. "I just need to bathe, I'll be good."  
"Ok." Obsinion sighed as the other left, his eyes catching on the book. Picking it up, he started to read it, noticing Faize had marked several pages. "What were you up to?" he whispered, closing the book and taking it with him.

Bull lay back on his bed, grunting. The book, now translated, was easier to try to understand, but still frustrating. The idea of only having one partner was strange to him, but at the same time, he knew the Qunari way of living was tormenting Fiaze. And he truly did love that little Elf. With a sigh, he sat up, just as Faize came into the room.  
"I was just thinking about you." Iron Bull said.  
"Me too." Faize said, climbing up and straddling the Qunari's lap.  
Iron Bull tugged at Faize's hair. "You tried to dye it?" he asked.  
"You like red-heads." Faize replied.  
"I like you better." the big man returned, just before kissing Faize.  
Somehow, it never go past kissing that night, and yet when he woke the next morning, Bull felt relieved. Looking over at Faize, curled next to him, cuddling him the way he was, it felt just so perfect. Reaching over, he gently caressed his lover's cheek.  
"Mmm? Morning, Bull." Faize whispered.  
"Morning, Faize." he whispered back. "I'm not really good at these things, but I need to ask you; why did you pick me?"  
Faize looked up at him. "Because there was something about you I just fell in love with, right when I first saw you. You were strong, brave, caring of your subordinates, and yet gentle when you handled me."  
Bull nodded, sitting up and pulling Faize up into his lap. "I've come to an important decision." he said.  
Faize looked up at him, wondering what was going to happen.  
"I love you, and this is a rather foreign concept to Qunari, since we're bred like pets. I asked Obsinion, and he said you were doing everything _Qunari_ for me, and if there was something _Elven_ I could do for you. I finally found my answer to that."  
"What is it?" Faize asked.  
"Will you help me break away from my Qun traditions and make me the first married Qunari?"  
Faize binked at him, then held him tightly. "Yes, I'll become yours." he said. "Oh, Bull. I love you. So much."  
Iron Bull held him close. "I love you, too, Faize. My Kadan."

"Faize." said Muffy. "You look like you were crying all night."  
"You look awful." added Rose. She looked back at Cullen, then down to her belly. "Baby's hungry, dear."  
Cullen placed her plate down in front of her. "There you go, breakfast for two." he said, giving her a kiss.  
"Faize, is something wrong?" asked Lotus and Obsinion.  
The dazed Elf just sat, still wiping the occasional tear from his face, his breathing shaky.  
"What happened?" asked Cassandra very pointedly as she sat across from Faize. "And where is that Dragon's Tooth you were wearing?"  
Obsinion looked. The charm and it's necklace were gone. "Faize?"  
Iron Bull plopped a plate in front of Faize that was loaded with food.  
"I don't think that's going to help a broken heart." said Obsinion.  
"Who said it was broken?" Faize finally managed to get out. It was only then that the others realized that the shudders were from laughing, and the tears were happy ones.  
"What happened?" came the unanimous question.  
Iron Bull put an arm around Faize. "Breaking from the Qun." he replied. "Later this week, we are to do the Elven thing, and be wed."  
Obsinion suddenly lost any and all strength in his legs and sat down from the shock. It hadn't occurred to him that when he'd told the Iron Bull to find the one Elven thing he could do for Faize that it would be to break away from his Qun upbringing and marry him.  
"Congratulations." said Cassandra. She looked a little uncomfortable for a moment, and then excused herself.  
"Cassandra?" asked Leliana as she watched the Seeker leave the dining hall. "Is something wrong?"  
"Not that I'm aware of." said Obsinion. "So, have you found out anything about Adamant?"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: While in Adamant . . .

"Adamant is deep in Orlesian Territory." said Josephine once everyone was assembled at the War Room. She sighed, putting her hand on her hip. "If you two are finished?"  
Rose let Cullen's ear go, letting the poor ex-templar get to his place at the table.  
"As I was saying, Adamant is deep in Orlesian Territory, and worse, we have word of Corypheus being there." Josephine continued. "It is set up to withstand almost anything we could throw at it."  
"What about a siege?" Obsinion asked.  
"It's the only way in." said Cullen. "We'd have to literally attack Adamant, find out what the Grey Wardens are up to, and stop them, especially if their aligned with Croypheus."  
Blackwall didn't look too happy. After all, these were Grey Wardens, the same guys he worked for, and they had been seen working with Corypheus. Not a good way to find out most of your comrades were on the wrong end of the war.  
"We will have to send at least one Herald." Josephine continued.  
"Why's that?" Cassandra asked. She was not happy about seeing her breakfast a second time that morning.  
"From what our spies have told us, the Wardens are summoning demons from the Fade by slaughtering one of their own, then binding the demon to a Warden Mage master." explained Leliana. "They apparently hope to stop the next Blight by drawing out an Archdemon and killing it prematurely."  
"That's insane." said Muffy. "The last Blight was only ten years ago."  
"Ten and seven months." Faize stated.  
"Thank you." said Obsinion. He sighed. Cassandra was sick, Faize and Bull were getting married, Rose was in no shape to go. If any Herald went, it was most likely going to be him again, and Cullen would be leading the siege against the fortress.  
"I'll go." said Faize.  
"But . . ."  
Iron Bull stepped up behind him. "I'll go with him, Boss." he said. "Things can wait until this is over."  
Obsinion looked over at Cassandra, then back at his brother. "Alright, but I'm going too. It'll be two teams, each with at least one Mage, alright?"  
"I'm going to have to stay behind." said Cassandra. "Someone has to take charge while you're away."  
"Yeah, we saw how things went while we were away at the Winter Palace." added Muffy. "I swear that scrawny little flirt almost blew the roof off the barn."  
"She did." said Blackwall. "And I'm coming with you. These are my kinsmen, my comrades. If any of them can be persuaded to join the Inquisition, I want to be there to do it."  
"Great, your on my team." said Obsinion. He glanced over at Varric. "You too. The report mentions that Red Lyrium shite we've been finding around, and you're the only one here that knows much about it."  
"I'll take Solas as our mage." said Faize, wringing his hands.  
"Are you alright?" Solas asked.  
Faize nodded. "You're just better at healing than the others." he added.  
"Well, Lotus? Will you be our Mage?" Obsinion asked.  
"Don't see why not." the Qunari replied.  
"And I'll go with Faize." said Muffy. "Two teams, a total of eight of us slipping in. Best of luck."

Things at Adamant went to shit really fast. Not only were the Wardens summoning and binding demons, they were doing so at the behest of the Warden-Commander Clarel and someone named Erimond, who was a 'Tevinter asshole', as Iron Bull put it. The siege went well, mostly, until that Fade-forsaken Archdemon Dragon appeared and roasted several moving trebuchets and the battering ram.  
Still, at every group of Grey Wardens Obsinion's team reached, they were able to convince a few of them to leave Adamant and join the Inquisition. It was going well . . . if by well, you meant rampaging demons, crazed Warden Mages, and fires being started just about everywhere by a Dragon that looked like it's skin was peeling off.  
"There she is!" shouted Obsinion. His group started running towards Clarel.  
"Found him!" Faize's team started heading for the Tevinter bastard Erimond. The two groups were headed strait for a bridge when suddenly, the Archdemon appeared.  
"Oh, crap." said Faize, trying to turn around quickly. Not very successful, since it was also raining, and he wiped out, sliding to a halt right under the decaying beast. He pinched his nose, eyes widening in horror as the monster snapped it's jaws over Clarel and shook, tearing her to pieces.  
The beast snapped at Obsinion's group as they charged forward, trying to drive the creature away from Adamant.  
Faize tried to scramble away, but it was to no avail. The Dragon's foot slipped, and the bridge they were on fell away. While the beast could take flight, the eight members of the Inquisition were not so lucky. It was a long drop.  
Obsinion looked at his hand. "Hope this works." He held his left hand out, trying to use the mark. It worked, and a large green opening swallowed the eight of them.  
The falling sensation lasted for an unknown period, and then just stopped. Obsinion looked up, raising his hand to touch the ground above him. Only then did something resembling gravity kick in, and he fell on his head.  
"It's all squishy." said Faize. He was standing on a wall. Putting his hand out, he took Iron Bull's hand and stepped down onto the same plain that the Qunari was standing.  
"Weirder and weirder." said Lotus, who was upside-down. "Little help."  
"Here." Muffy was on a wall nearby, and took Lotus's hand and helper her step to the wall before taking Blackwall's hand and stepping onto the same plain as Obsinion.  
"So, where are we?" asked Varric.  
Solas looked around, slightly uncomfortable. "I believe we are in the Fade." he replied.  
"Could have told you that." said Obsinion. "Remember, five of us managed to step out of here."  
Faize leaned on Iron Bull, his weak constitution getting the better of him.  
"Faize?" Obsinion asked.  
"She was torn apart." Faize mumbled.  
Obsinion sighed. "I'm sorry you ended up seeing that." He looked around. "We'd better try and find a way out. There was tear in the Fade, back in Adamant."  
"Yeah, but did you see that creature on the other side?" asked Lotus.  
"It's our only chance." said Solas. "Otherwise, we wander in here for who-knows how long trying to find another Fade Rift that could dump us Maker knows where."  
"Look!" Faize pointed across the squishy, gross terrain. "Isn't that . . ?"  
"Justinia?" asked Obsinion. "Come on."  
As the group headed through the bog (it was the only real way to describe the way things squished under your feet and the gassy fog everywhere in the Fade), something came skittering across the ground at them.  
"Gah!" Faize reacted first, taking his bow and bashing one into the wall like he was using a flyswatter.  
"What is it?" asked Blackwall.  
Lotus looked around. "Spiders!" she yelped, casting her magic at them.  
"You see spiders?" asked Iron Bull as he cleaved through one monster. "I'd be glad if it was just spiders."  
"Me too." said Faize as he shot one between the eyes.  
"Come on." Onbsinion led them on to where the figure of Divine Justinia stood.  
"Justinia?" asked Lotus.  
The figure only pointed up, where there was a blackish cloud. All at once, images began to play over it, similar to the short stint of the past they had seen at the Temple of Sacred Ashes.  
This time, they could see Corypheus standing there, holding the orb. Divine Justinia was being held in place, but the sight of who was holding her there made Blackwall angry. They were Grey Wardens.  
"Hold the Sacrifice still." Corypheus ordered.  
Justinia tried to struggle. "Someone, help me!"  
"What's going on?" asked Lotus as her figure seemed to materialize into the image.  
What are you doing?" That voice was now recognizable as belonging to Obsinion.  
"Oh, hell." Rose said.  
"Damn and shite, your ugly." Muffy's observation at the time was now understandable, rather than sounding stupid as it had before.  
"Did you find her?" The final voice belonged to Faize.  
Apparently at that moment, Corypheus had dropped the orb, and Faize had been the one to pick it up, just as Justinia had told them to run, to warn everyone. Faize had almost dropped it, having the orb land in first Obsinion's hands, but it slipped, falling to Lotus, then Rose, and lastly Muffy before it had caused the explosion at the Conclave, sucking them into the Fade.  
"We caused the explosion?" asked Muffy.  
"It was probably better than what Corypheus intended." Obsinion returned. "But still. Who were those holding her like that?"  
"Grey Wardens." Blackwall said with some distaste.  
"Sorry." Obsinion said.  
"No real need to be. We've saved a number of them at Adamant, and those ones died back at the Conclave, so I know they aren't going to cause any more problems. The only bugger about it is the fact that the Grey Wardens were involved with the Divine's death."  
"The figure seems to be trying to show us a way out." said Faize.  
"Do we follow it?" asked Lotus.  
"It doesn't seem to be an evil spirit." said Solas. "I would trust it."  
"It seems to be the only thing we can do, anyway." Obsinion sighed.  
It seemed like forever as they walked through the boggy area. Several times they were set upon by something, which most of them understood to be Spiders.  
"Fear Demons." said Solas. "They take a form that can frighten you."  
"It's working." said Faize, now clinging securely to Iron Bull's back. He could feel the tension in his lover's muscles, feel the light tremble in the other's flesh. Even though Iron Bull tried to be a strong warrior, he was still a living being. "I'm here, Kadan." Faize whispered softly in his lover's ear.  
Bull nodded slightly, taking comfort in Faize's soft whisper.  
"The Rift they opened back at Adamant." said Lotus. "This spirit did help us. But, why take the form of Divine Justinia?"  
"She helped you escape." the spirit said. "I carry her will."  
"Her will?" asked Muffy. "Like, her memories?"  
The spirit didn't seem to understand much of the question. "She wanted you to save Thedas." she said. Her image of Justinia faded away to reveal a figure of light. The same figure that had held out it's hand and had pulled each of them to safety and out of the Rift back just before the Inquisition.  
"Thank you, for helping us." said Faize.  
"Tell Leliana, I failed her, too." With that, the figure vanished, and the group stepped out of the Rift, back into Adamant.  
Needless to say, the remaining Grey Wardens dropped their weapons, frightened by the fact that the four Heralds of Andraste that had come had once again stepped out of the Fade, and not only them, but their companions as well. They surrendered, willingly, and offered their services to the Inquisition.

Cassandra slapped Obsinion across the face as soon as they were all safely inside Skyhold.  
"Ow! What did I do to deserve that one?" he asked, rubbing his face.  
The others just stared, shocked.  
Cassandra sighed and gave him a kiss. "I don't know whether I am angry at you or love you even more at the moment. Probably both."  
Faize just blinked. He didn't know what was going on, either.  
"It was Cole who told me." Cassandra said in response to Obsinion's still dumbfounded face.  
"Am I missing something?" the Elf finally asked.  
"Another warrior on the battlefield." Cassandra replied. She looked at Obsinion. "Remember what you asked me, back at Haven? And later on, here at Skyhold?"  
All color drained from Obsinion's face. He remembered quite clearly that he had asked her both at Haven and the night of the Grande Ball if she wanted children. But . . .  
Faize caught Obsinion as his brother fainted. "I thought I was the only one prone to doing that." he said. He looked up at Cassandra. "So, why did you hit him?"  
Obsinion groaned as he was sat down on the floor. "So . . ."  
Cassandra nodded. "Only Cole and that Elven healer you had brought back from the Hinterlands know. And Rose, but she's agreed to shut her mouth."  
Faize bit his lip, having figured out what was going on. "I think I'll take my leave." he said, taking the Iron Bull by the arm and leading him away.  
The others in turn left as well, until only Cassandra and Obsinion were left in the war room.  
Obsinion gently drew Cassandra closer to himself. "So, how far along are you?" he asked before kissing her.  
"Cole said it was still small, but aware of me, that it's still inside. And that it wants me to know it's there." Cassandra replied. "The healer asked me a few questions and checked me over. It's been about three months, Obsinion."  
The Elf held her close. Three months. She'd been on the battlefield while pregnant with their child, and they hadn't noticed. "Oh, Cassandra."  
"I was worried, too. But apparently the fact that I am active is what kept us from knowing earlier, and it's actually a benefit to the child." Cassandra leaned closer to Obsinion. "I'm still allowed to do my sword practice and such, but it's been recommended I remain in or close to Skyhold."  
Obsinion held her close, running his hand through her soft, dark hair. "Guess I won't need to make that rune, then." he said.  
"What rune?" Cassandra asked.  
"I was thinking, after all this with Corypheus and stuff is over, of making an Elven fertility rune."  
Cassandra smacked him on the shoulder, letting out a light laugh, then leaned on Obsinion again. "I love you." she said, wrapping her arms around him.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Qunari and the Elf

Faize swallowed as the sun started to rise. It had taken a week to prepare for this. A week of hearing the other Elves from Clan Lavellan tease him about checking the flowers and picking over materials. A week of taking pot-shots at the six Elves that used to pick on him and then tying them up to put them in the horse pens so they would get shit on. And a week of having to explain said actions to his brother when they ratted him out. Mind you, said six Elves were now under orders to work in said stables instead of being allowed the freedom granted to the other members of Clan Lavellan, thanks to the Elder.  
Two male Elves walked over, helping dress Faize for this event. The jacket was long and flowing, almost like a bride's dress. It was exactly as he and Iron Bull had requested. The color wasn't what most would have pictured, but it was what they had wanted. Blues and reds, with gold edging. The traditional Elven head covering (which was for both male and female) went over, and Faize kept his head lowered, as was custom. He wasn't allowed to see anyone's faces now until he was before the Elder and the Qunari priest, when he would be allowed to look up and see his beloved.  
There was a knock at the door. One of the Elves answered, and Obsinion stepped in. "Ready?" he asked.  
Faize nodded, holding out his hand so his brother could lead him to the courtyard, where the wedding was to take place. He could only imagine what he dear Iron Bull was going through.

It was not a pretty sight, at least for the Chargers, who had the unfortunate duty of dressing their Captain. After a few failed attempts, it was Krem who managed to get the huge Qunari clothed while the rest of the Chargers looked on.  
"Thanks." said Iron Bull as he was buttoned into his coat. It was cut a bit larger than it should have, mostly to keep from tearing, but also because it was supposed to show his rippling muscles. Unlike Faize, he wasn't wearing the head cover (it wouldn't have worked with his horns, anyway) but instead marked his face with a special Vitaar that had been made specially for this event. It wouldn't hurt Faize, not after the ceremony, and had been specially crafted by a Qunari armor-master.  
"You look good, Chief." said Krem.  
The rest of the Chargers stood, saluting.  
"You're making me nervous." Iron Bull said. He looked over as there was a knock at the door.  
Stitches answered. "He's ready."  
Iron Bull stepped out of the room, following Lotus's lead to the courtyard. He could see several of the Qun were there to see what had made their best spy turn nearly Tal-Vashoth. There were also a large collection of Elves around, and from windows, the battlements, and several staircases were the armies and members of the Inquisition.  
He stood before the Qunari priest, who was unaccustomed to having to perform a marriage ceremony for one of the Qunari. He usually only had to do these kinds of things for a Viddathari (non-Qunari beings under the Qun).  
There was a light gasp, and Iron Bull turned slightly to see Faize being led out by Obsinion. He was hard-pressed not to gasp himself as the Elf was led to stand beside him, the small pale hand placed in his large grey one.  
"As one rises to meet with the sun, so too must the eyes of the loved one rise to meet each other." said the Elder Elf.  
Faize looked up towards Iron Bull, who carefully tilted the other's head so they would be looking eyes to eye.  
"As one devotes them-self to the Qun, so must one devote them-self to their lover." said the Qunari.  
Faize placed his other hand in Iron Bull's other hand, so they were facing each other completely.  
"And thus shall blood unite them." said both the Elder and the Priest.  
A ceremonial dagger was handed to them. First to Iron Bull, who took the weapon and lifted Faize's right hand, piercing his palm with the tip so the blood pooled. Then Faize took the weapon, piercing the palm of Iron Bull's right hand so the blood also pooled. Then, the dagger was returned to the altar, and their hands met, palm to palm, and their blood mixed together.  
"For three turns of seasons have they know each other." started the Elder Elf.  
As if part of an Orlesian dance, Faize and Iron Bull kept their right hands together and walked the circle three turns.  
"And for three seasons have they loved each other." continued the Qunari Priest.  
Again, three turns as if part of a dance.  
"And now, they are bound for an eternity." the Priest and Elder finished.  
The right hands separated, showing the glitter of the mixed blood as they turned again to face each other. Iron Bull's arm snaked behind Faize's back, and Faize went slack as he was tilted back for their binding kiss. This was a moment of truth for the Qun. If the bloods had not mixed properly, the Elf would die, here and now, from the Vitaar painted on Iron Bull's face.  
Faize felt Iron Bull's lips across his, and a heated sting caused him to gasp lightly. The sting didn't leave for a moment, a burning instead that filled his mouth, only to suddenly cool as Iron Bull ended the kiss. His eyes fluttered open (he hadn't realized he'd closed them), and he saw his beloved's smile.  
A loud cheer rose from all those around them, and Faize leaned close to his beloved. His Iron Bull. Now and forever.

"Isn't it beautiful?" asked Lotus as the after-wedding party went into full swing.  
Solas only glanced at her out the corner of his eye. "If you're implying that we do this, no." he stated flatly. "But the efforts made on both their parts to remain faithful are something to be admired."  
"You know, you could lighten up a little." said Lotus. "I'm just trying to be friendly."  
Solas sighed. "Perhaps I have read too much into your cheerful banter." He looked at her. "But our relationship will always remain as friends."  
Lotus nodded. She knew better than to try and push Solas in a direction he didn't like. Still . . .  
"The dancing has started." she said idly.  
"Well, if we are to be part of the merriment, I don't suppose a dance would hurt too much." Solas admitted.  
Down with the others, Faize was more-or-less clinging to Iron Bull, a smile on his face as they danced across the room to the lively tune. He spotted Muffy conning Varric into a dance, and noticed that Lotus had actually managed to get Solas down from the balcony. Somewhere, he saw Dorian and Vivienne dancing, albeit somewhat stiffly, and the very-pregnant Rose was off to the side with Cullen.  
"Congratulations." said Obsinion after one of the dances. "You two look perfect together."  
"Yeah, well, just be glad you went with a human wedding." said Iron Bull. He held Faize close. "I wasn't too happy about the thing with the Vitaar when they told me about it."  
"He looks a little dazed." Cassandra observed.  
Faize put his hand to his forehead. Ever since the kiss with Iron Bull, he'd been getting small waves of dizziness and flashes of warmth through his body.  
"There you are." The Qunari armor-master came over. He was what most would call a slip of a Qunari, but he dealt with Vitaar, not actual metal-work. He spotted Faize's dazed face.  
"What is it?" Iron Bull asked.  
"The Vitaar I created for this marriage." he said. "It was made not only to be safe for your Elf bride after the blood-mix, but also to . . . encourage the union."  
Iron Bull looked down slightly at Faize, who was making a small indication that he was feeling warm again. "You mean . . . "  
"Yes, I hid a small amount of that plant you mentioned in the mix."  
Iron Bull blinked at him, then looked at Faize. "This is going to be a really good night, eh, Kadan?"  
Faize looked up at him, the warmth not dissipating this time. "I don't think I'll be able to wait that long." he replied. "When's the earliest we can graciously back out of the room without offending anyone?"  
"Sundown." said Obsinion. "About two more hours."  
Faize groaned slightly, leaning against Iron Bull and making sure the other knew of his predicament. If he had to suffer another two hours of horniness without relief, his husband was going to know about it.  
They never made it those two hours, and somehow managed to slip away after one, making their way quietly to the Iron Bull's room, which had been re-done for the two of them.  
For anyone who slept near that room, it was definitely a lo-o-ong night.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Temple

It was only a few days after the wedding that Empress Celene's best friend and confidant, Morrigan the arcane mage, arrived at Skyhold, bearing unfortunate news.  
"What is it?" asked Obsinion.  
"Corypheus." Morrigan replied. "He is after something in the Arbor Wilds."  
Faize, who had been in the meeting, suddenly grabbed at the medallion that pinned his cloak. "Mythal." he whispered.  
"There is a temple there that was once the worshiping place for the Elven God Mythal." said Morrigan.  
Iron Bull put an arm around his beloved Faize, trying to soothe the Elf's fears. "It'll be alright. We'll go kick that Corypheus ass out of there, alright?"  
Faize nodded. "Thank you." He looked back at his brother. "Come with us, Obsinion. This is part of our heritage they're attacking."  
Obsinion could see the conviction in his brother's eyes. "Alright. We'll march on the Arbor Wilds. Keep Corypheus busy while we find out what it is he's looking for in that Temple."  
Iron Bull nodded, reaching over and grabbing Solas. "You're a mage; you're tagging along. Besides, being one of those Apostate-things, you might know something."  
Solas didn't look too happy about being dragged along, but agreed.

"Sure this was a good idea?" Obsinion asked, observing his brother as the younger skittered over the tree branches.  
"I'm just glad he didn't get a fear of those things after that burn." Iron Bull replied as he followed.  
"Coming down." Faize slipped down into the waiting arms of his Iron Bull. "There are a few camps scattered around, but the Temple is that way." He looked at Obsinion. "Corypheus is there, along with a few Grey Wardens."  
"We'd getter get moving." said Obsinion. The small group headed for the Temple, only to spot the figure of Corypheus as he attempted to get in. Some sort of device for repelling Darkspawn activated, destroying the creepy Magister.  
"That looked almost to easy." said Faize as they walked past the broken device and the burnt remains.  
"I'll agree." said Solas.  
Suddenly, the body of a deceased Grey Warden moved.  
"What?" asked Obsinion.  
Red Lyrium crystals began to come out of the flesh near the face.  
"Run! Get inside!"  
They didn't need to be told twice. The group ran for the doorway, turning to close it. Through the crack, just before the door closed, they saw the face of Corypheus, as though he had never been destroyed.  
"That's unnerving." said Faize.  
"Apparently any Blighted creature can be a host for him." said Solas. "Or Grey Warden."  
"Glad we didn't bring Blackwall." said Obsinion. He sighed when he saw a raised platform ahead of them, with a statue standing in the center. "Faize, we don't have the time to . . ."  
There was a rumble from further in the temple, and Faize hopped off the platform. "I love puzzles." he grinned.  
"What did you do?" asked Solas.  
"Opened the door." Faize replied. "These things are puzzles. They are rights of passage, to test if you are worthy to see Mythal."  
"But she died." Solas returned. "I saw it through the Fade."  
"Doesn't matter." said Faize. "They told me Mythal watches over me, and I will not anger her by bypassing the rituals."  
"But Corypheus . . . " started Obsinion.  
"Let him do the damned rituals." said Iron Bull. "That thing can't get through that door, and will need to find another way in. We've bought a little time."  
"Only a little." Obsinion replied. "We don't have the luxury of playing these games!"  
Faize sighed, walking ahead of them into the next room. There were three rooms from here, and a sealed door. Before Obsinion and the others could argue their way into a circle and let Corypheus ahead of them, he darted into one of the side rooms and looked the floor puzzle over. "This way, this way, three this way, change the switch . . ."  
"Faize! Where are you now?" Obsinion called.  
"And done." Faize walked back out into the main room. "Next puzzle."  
Obsinion groaned as they followed Faize through another door into another puzzle room. "Be quick about it."  
"I don't like puzzles any more than you." said Iron Bull. "But look at his face. He's just dancing over those pads as they light up. He really enjoys puzzles like this."  
"Done." Faize hopped off the pads. "One left." He led them to the third room, and Obsinion's face nearly dropped.  
"This one's huge." he said. "We'll never get it . . . what are you doing, Faize?"  
"Walk beside me." Faize said, holding Obsinion by the arm.  
Solas and Iron Bull watched as Faize guided Obsinion with him across the pads, finishing the puzzle rather quickly.  
"See?" Faize asked as he and Obsinion hopped off. "Now we can properly reach whatever Corrypheus was after."  
Beyond the once-sealed door was a set of floating rocks that led up to a pool. Standing near this pool was an ancient Elf.  
"What need have you of Vir'Abelasan(the Well of Sorrows)?" the Elf asked.  
"A great evil, Corypheus, seeks to take this well." said Faize. "Please, tell us what it does?"  
"It the collective knowledge of those of us that follow Mythal." He spotted the medalion on Faize's cloak. "A fellow follower?" he asked.  
"They said when I was born, Mythal was watching over me." Faize replied.  
"Know this: If you drink from the well, all the knowledge collected will be passed to you, and you will become a servant of Mythal."  
"I already try to do my best." Faize replied.  
"Then make your choice. We, the caretakers of this Temple, will go to try and stop this monster that knocks at our door."  
Faize looked at Morrigan, who had gone ahead of them and now stood near the well. "Back off." he said.  
Obsinion was startled by his brother's boldness. "Faize?"  
"This well is our heritage, Obsinion. She has no right to it's knowledge." Faize looked at his brother. "We should be the ones to take the knowledge here."  
Iron Bull held Solas back. "Let them." he said.  
"You wouldn't know what to do with the knowledge." Morrigan spat.  
"We'll figure it out." Faize replied. He looked again at Obsinion. "Come on. It's time we finally got back some of our history."  
The pair of Elves stepped into the pool, hearing whispers around them. Together, they cupped some of the water into their hands and drank.  
The well exploded, in a grand upwards splash that came down and seemingly was absorbed into the pair of Elves that now lay out cold on the basin floor.  
For Fiaze and Obsinion, it was a different matter. They were standing in the dark, grey and blue wisps floating around them, whispers flooding their ears.  
"Where am I?" asked Obsinion.  
"Mythal?" Faize asked.  
Everything went black.  
The pair of Elves blinked awake, but the whispers remained. Strange symbols covered their faces, arms, and hands. Faize held his head in frustration, while Obsinion spotted a worse problem.  
Corypheus had managed to get into the temple.  
There was a large mirror-like object behind Vir'Abelasan, and somehow in his panic, Obsinion managed to open it, or at least that's what Morrigan managed to shout out as they ran towards it. It was a good thing it was 'open', because only seconds after they got through, the mirror behind them shattered, closing off the only chance Corypheus had of chasing them.  
Morrigan activated another of the mirror-portals, and they stepped through. Almost immediately, the two Lavellan passed out, lying limply across the floor.

"Come on, love." said a soft voice. "I'm not going to have that healer tend to you forever."  
Obsinion groaned, putting a hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight that shone over him. "Cassandra?"  
"Who else here would call you love?" she asked.  
"How long have I been out?" he asked, pushing himself up to sitting.  
"A week." Cassandra replied. "You were talking. A lot. It didn't seem to make any sense, but I took notes anyway after Morrigan said you and Faize drank from something called 'the Well of Sorrows' and gained some kind of knowledge."  
Obsinion looked over a his beloved wife. She was without her armor, it no longer fit properly, and thus was wearing her normal clothes she often had on underneath that simple curass. To the unknowing, she was just not wearing the armor; to Obsinion, he could see the not-so-slight swell that made wearing the curass impossible. "How bad was I babbling?" he asked, spotting the stack of notes on the table.  
"A lot." she replied. "Mostly about Blighted creatures and the ability to move freely from one creature to the next."  
"If I was babbling this bad, was anyone taking notes from Faize?" Obsinion asked, finally getting up and checking the notes. Most of it seemed to be jibberish, half-sentences that didn't tell anyone much of anything. A few times his words were spattered with begging or pleading for his dear Cassandra to be alright, and it made him glad she'd been the one taking the notes.  
"Yes." Cassandra replied. "Iron Bull himself was supposed to be taking the notes, so we might need a translator for them."  
There was a knock at the door.  
"Come in." said Obsinion. "Leliana, what is it?"  
"Firstly, I'd like to scold you, Cassandra."  
"For what?"  
"You honestly thought you could hide it from me?" she asked. "The fact that your pregnant?"  
Cassandra sighed. "And this is why you are the spymaster." she said. "And I had hoped."  
"Don't worry, I know how to keep secrets."  
"I know." said Cassandra.  
"I also came to let you know Faize is up, or at least at knee level."  
"What's wrong?"  
"He's been ill ever since waking." Leliana replied. "It's got Iron Bull worried, but Solas keeps dismissing anything we might ask about. I think he knows something."  
Obsinion turned slightly, his eye catching on the Dalish book he'd found with Faize and Solas the one day, about five or six weeks ago. "The Dalish book of Arcane Magic." he whispered, carefully opening the old binding. Several pages had been marked, and seemed all out of place. A recipe for a Rune. Another on how to make chalk. White chalk, to be specific. There was another on how to make scented candles, and another for Dalish celebration paint. He paused.  
"What is it?" Cassandra asked.  
"Leliana, do you know of anything that would require a Rune stone?"  
"Any specific one?" she asked.  
"Yeah, one for Life, and the giving thereof."  
"Is something wrong?" asked Cassandra.  
"There's a page torn from this book, subtly, like someone was trying to hide something." Obsinion replied. "The other pages marked involve the crafting of said Rune, candles, chalk, and Dalish celebratory body paint."  
"Sounds odd." said Leliana.  
"Also sounds like how I found him, just before . . ." Obsinion suddenly turned. "Where is Faize now?"  
"Dowstairs. They were supposed to be heading for the War Room, to compare the relative parts of the notes gathered while you two were asleep." Leliana replied. She looked at Cassandra. "Also, I was asked to warn you that the Chantry has decided it will be either you or I that becomes the next Divine."  
"You can have it." said Cassandra. "I'm not leaving Obsinion just to become the next Divine. Besides, she is not allowed family."  
Leliana nodded.  
Obsinion quickly made his way down to the War Room, spotting Faize leaned against Iron Bull almost immediately. "You lied to me." he said, looking at his brother.  
"Hmm?" Faize covered his mouth again, swallowing. "What are you talking about?"  
"A month and a half ago, when I found you in the Undercroft. Solas said it was nothing, that he was just helping you with something. You said it was for Iron Bull, to make you stronger. You lied."  
Faize shifted nervously. "Can we not talk about it here?" he asked.  
"There's only you, me, and Iron Bull here right now. What did you do?"  
Faize swallowed, but said nothing.  
"Faize, I need to know what you did that is making you so sick right now."  
Faize began to fiddle with his fingers down in his lap, but still said nothing. He wasn't even looking at Obsinion anymore.  
Iron Bull put an arm around him. "It's alright. I will always be at your side, Kadan, no matter what." he assured.  
"Even after what I did?" Faize asked. There was a waver in his voice. "What I asked Solas to help me do?"  
"The vows were for eternity, Faize." said Iron Bull as he tilted his lover's face up to look at him. "I made you cry enough. I will stay with you forever."  
Faize reached into his pocket and pulled out the torn page. "I heard about what would happen to you at the turn of seasons." Faize said. "And you'd taught me enough Qunari to know how to read it. I looked for an answer, and found one." He handed the page to Obsinion, tears running down his face. "I'm sick because of something I did, and something . . . we did."  
Obsinion looked at the page, a sigh escaping him. "You know this is borderline blood magic, right?"  
"It's why I asked Solas. Lotus turned me down after I said it involved magic. I knew Vivienne would just laugh at me, and Dorian has a big mouth. So I turned to the Apostate, asking him to keep it a secret, since it wasn't even guaranteed to work."  
"What is it?" Iron Bull asked.  
Faize finally stopped wringing his hands, sighing. This was never a good sign, since it usually meant he was about to go shoot something. "It's nothing." he said, standing and walking out of the room.  
"Nothing my ass." said Obsinion. He handed the page to the Iron Bull. "Be careful with him, ok? There a good chance, if this magic worked, that he's pregnant." He turned and followed Faize.  
The Elf actually wasn't shooting anything when Obsinion found him. He was sitting in one of the pens, hugging his poor Halla. And he was crying.  
"Faize?"  
"Go away."  
"Faize, I was worried about you." said Obsinion.  
Faize sighed, letting the Halla wander off to the other side of the pen. "Just go away." he repeated. It was obvious he was crying.  
"I'm not leaving."  
"You ruined everything." Faize said. He wiped his nose on his sleeve. "I was going to wait, see if it was true. But you just had to ruin it, didn't you?"  
Obsinion leaned on the side of the fence into the pen, spotting Faize leaned on the side, hand on his lower abdomen. "I'm sorry. I just got so worried when Leliana said you were getting sick. And I noticed a page missing from that book, and all the other pages you'd marked."  
Faize just stayed where he was. "Don't pull me from active duty, please?"  
"But Faize . . ."  
"I'm not a doll to be dusted every so often."  
"Cassandra said the same thing." Obsinion said. "And she's not on active duty anymore."  
"I'm an archer, alright? And it hasn't even been confirmed or denied yet. At least grant me my freedom until then."  
Obsinion sighed. "Faize, I'm worried about you, alright? Iron Bull is, too. I won't have you acting recklessly, ok?"  
There was no answer, and Obsinion looked over to see Faize had dozed off, having cried himself into exhaustion. Slipping into the pen, he felt along his brother's thin body, pausing at the lower abdomen. There was some swelling, and it made Obsinion worry. But Faize wanted to still have his freedom, while he still could, and Obsinion wasn't going to be the one to take it away, not yet. Let his husband argue with him on that subject. Carefully, he picked his brother up and carried him back to the War Room, depositing said Elf into the lap of the male Qunari.  
"Here, hold. Don't let him leave." he said.  
"Something wrong with him?" asked Lotus.  
"I pissed him off." Obsinion replied. "And his poor Halla paid for it with a very wet pelt."  
"He killed it? But I thought he loved that Halla." said Rose. "Oh." she rubbed her expansive belly. She would be having her child any day now.  
"It's just soaked in tears." Obsinion clarified. "His Halla is about as stubborn as his husband."  
Iron Bull did not look pleased to be compared to the Halla, but gently tilted Faize's face so he was leaning on him.  
"Now, then, about those notes . . ." started Obsinion.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Notes and the Dragon

It was a lot of sorting. There were several pieces that just didn't seem to fit, until you looked at when they were said. Often times whatever Obsinion had started to say, Faize had ended saying a little while later.  
The others came and went from the room, and Faize woke sometime close to the noon meal. He ate, but slowly, causing his dear Iron Bull to worry about him even more.  
Cassandra left the War Room, needing some air, and found Rose sitting in the garden. There had been a lot of work put into it, making the area a warm and welcoming one, with a small Chantry in the corner, and an area to grow some herbs.  
"Thinking?" she asked.  
"Worrying." Rose replied. She placed a hand on her belly. "Cullen has made no indication of wanting to help raise the child, and I'm worried about what that will mean."  
Cassandra nodded. "I'm sure he will agree to help, if not now, then once he sees the child after it is born." She gave Rose one of her genuine gentle smiles. "He has a soft spot for children."  
"I'm also confused." said Rose.  
"About what?"  
"A strange feeling." Rose replied. "I was hoping you might come with me to talk to the healer about it."  
"Of course."  
The Elf healer was near the herb garden, and looked up as the two women approached. "Yes, what can I help you with?"  
"I've been feeling something strange." said Rose.  
"Come, to the room where I can examine you." said the healer. She led the two women over and checked on Rose's painful belly. "You're child wants to come." she said. "Lie down. Rest. I will be close by, for when the time comes."  
Rose lay down, placing a hand on her belly. "Cassandra."  
"Yes?"  
"I'm scared." She looked at the Seeker. "I don't know if Cullen will find out in time to be here. If he would want to be."  
"One moment." Cassandra went to the door. "Excuse me." she said, tapping the shoulder of one of the young healers. "Can you get Commander Cullen? Tell him it has something to do with Rose, and that he must hurry."  
"At once." The healer hurried away, and Cassandra returned to Rose's side.  
"I have sent word to him." she assured.  
Rose nodded, starting to tear. "It's getting worse." she gasped.  
"It will be alright." Cassandra reassured her.  
The Elf healer returned to the room at about the same time Cullen arrived.  
"Rose, what is it?" he asked. "You're not hurt, are you?"  
"It's the baby, Cullen." she panted. "The baby's coming."  
The commander nodded. "I'll stay. I helped make it, I'll stay to see this through."

Obsinion sighed. Re-writing the notes was hard work, especially with the splattering of Qunlat and apparent Elfhen that laced Faize's speech. Still, it was almost complete. The sun was setting, meaning they wouldn't be able to go over the notes until the following morning.  
Cassandra walked into the room, looking exhausted.  
"What's wrong?" Obsinion asked, getting up. "Are you alright?"  
"I'm fine, if you can call seeing child-birth fine."  
Obsinion looked confused.  
"Rose?" asked Faize. He was leaning on the wall, looking exhausted and about to faint.  
"Yes. She and Cullen have a fine little girl, now." Cassandra replied. "The Elf healer was there, and said it would have been harder on Rose if she hadn't been."  
"I'm glad they're alright." said Obsinion. He turned as he heard Faize slide down the wall, suddenly coughing. "Faize?"  
The other Lavellan gave a low groan, staying leaned on the wall. "The whispers. They keep talking." he groaned.  
"You can still hear the whispers? I have to concentrate, or be out cold apparently, to hear them." Obsinion said.  
Cassandra knelt next to Faize and felt his head. "He has a fever, Obsinion." she reported.  
"The Dragon." Faize mumbled softly.  
"Yes, I know. It and Corypheus are tied." Obsinion said. He looked at Cassandra. "Can you get the Elf healer? I need her to look at him."  
"Where will we find you?" Cassandra asked.  
"Iron Bull's room. It's where he lives, now." Obsinion picked Faize up, despite the protests. "It's ok. I'm just going ask her to check your fever." he assured his brother.  
Iron Bull was also getting to the room, the plate in hand piled with food that he'd obviously intended to share with his husband once the other had returned. Or been retrieved. "He's gotten sicker?" he asked, his voice thick with concern.  
"Feverish." Obsinion replied. "The healer should be here soon to check."  
No sooner had he said this than Cassandra and the healer arrived.  
"You said he's got a fever?" asked the healer. "Has he been wounded recently?"  
"No." Iron Bull replied. "We did go at it like crazy when we were married, though. Might have caused an injury then, but that was a while ago."  
The healer checked the fever. "This isn't a normal fever." she said. Carefully, she checked his ears. "Warm."  
Obsinion swallowed. He wanted to spout everything, but with Faize still conscious, it would only spell disaster.  
"What are you doing?" Faize asked, trying to sit up. Anything but have her check there.  
"Stay down." the healer snapped at him.  
"I'm fine!" Faize argued. The mark on his hand sparked.  
"You're not fine." said the healer. "Something has happened, and I'm willing to bet by your actions, you know what it is."  
Faize finally managed to sit up. "I've just been a little sick. It's nothing to worry about, I was asleep for a week."  
Iron Bull sat on the edge of the bed. "Kadan, I need to know you're going to be alright."  
Faize sighed.  
"We'll leave, if it'll make it easier." offered Obsinion.  
Faize nodded, so the elder Lavellan and his wife left the room.  
Faize leaned on Iron Bull. "Don't hate me." he whispered.  
"Why would I ever hate you?" the Qunari asked. He looked at the healer. "Is it alright if I hold him while you finish? He seems more at ease this way."  
The healer nodded, continuing her examination across his chest, and then over his abdomen. All at once, Faize hissed, twisting some into his husband. It took some petting to have him relax again.  
"What is it?" Iron Bull asked.  
"You were not born like this, were you?" asked the healer. She prompted Bull to lay Faize on his back.  
Faize didn't answer, but the fact that he clung to the Qunari's hand was enough to tell her the answer. "Please, don't hate me." he kept begging.  
"I won't hate you." Iron Bull replied. He already had an idea what the healer was going to find, since Obsinion had said something earlier, and he'd checked the page over as well. Reading the Dalish script had been awkward, but he'd understood enough to know what Faize had most likely done.  
The healer gently prodded over Faize's abdomen again, and he moaned as she reached lower down. "I thought so." she said softly. She looked at the Elf, then at the Qunari. "He's pregnant."  
Faize turned his head, tears flowing. He hadn't wanted anyone to know, hadn't wanted someone else to tell them until after the stuff with Corypheus was over. He'd hoped to hide it until he and Iron Bull were alone somewhere quiet, away from the Inquisition, and then tell his beloved the good news. Now, he was going to be locked away, caged like when he'd been the plaything of the Elder's son back with Clan Lavellan.  
"How far?" Iron Bull asked, gently caressing Faize's hair.  
"I'd guess at about a month, around when you two were wed." said the healer.  
Faize continued to cry, curling into Iron Bull as the Qunari pulled him into his lap.  
"Do the others need to know?" he asked, trying to sooth Faize's tears.  
"It would do to probably inform the Inquisitor, but I'll leave that to you. But for his sake, I will be checking on him regularly to make sure he and the child are well." The healer stood and took her leave.  
Iron Bull held Faize for a long time, just letting the other cry. When the tears finally settled, he tilted his husband's face up and asked, "When were you going to tell me?"  
"I wanted to wait. After we beat Corypheus, somewhere alone, just the two of us. I wanted to be the one to tell you, but . . ."  
The Iron Bull silenced Faize with a warm, passionate kiss. "So, this is why the sexual urges have faded." he whispered softly. "I won't tell Obsinion, but you'd better be careful out there."  
Faize wrapped his arms around Iron Bull. "I won't go anywhere without you, ok?"  
"Deal."

"So?" Obsinion asked the next day. He was the only one in the War Room with Faize and Iron Bull, so it was discrete enough.  
"Just a fever." Faize replied. "It's nothing to worry about."  
Obsinion nodded. He wasn't going to press the issue, especially not with Muffy, Varric, and Lotus all walking in right about then. Cole stepped in, tilted his head slightly, and looked at Faize.  
"What?" Faize asked.  
Cole only blinked at him a moment, then nodded and sat down on one of the benches, pressing a small piece of paper into Faize's hand as he did so.  
Faize looked at the page. It simply said "I won't tell." He nodded and tucked the page into his pocket.  
The others arrived, and Obsinion sighed. "Ok. I went over the notes and wrote out what I could to try and make sense of them."  
"And?" asked Muffy.  
"The Dragon that Corypheus keeps with him? It's not an Archdemon. It's the way to kill him."  
The others looked startled, shocked, and one of them quite impressed.  
"Really, darling?" asked Vivienne.  
"Yes. Some of Corypheus's life force is in the Dragon. We kill it, and he looses the ability to jump from one body to another."  
"That's a lot to ask." said Lotus. "Especially since that thing flies, a lot."  
"That's where Mythal comes in." Obsinion replied. He looked at Faize and Iron Bull. "You gave us the location of a statue, where Elves would go to pray to Mythal. It's where you were born, which is partly why they said you were guarded by her."  
"You were born there, too." Faize interjected.  
"I was born while our Mother was hiding. A wolf had come close when I passed from our mother, and it cleaned me for her while she labored with you. That's why I'm the one watched by Fen'Harel, while you by Mythal. When you were born, the wolf ran away."  
"So, what do we need to do there?" asked Rose, rocking her baby.  
"We ask Mythal for help." Obsinion replied.  
"How far away is it?" asked Iron Bull.

Faize was more than grateful to be back on the ground after two days of riding. His stomach, however . . .  
Obsinion looked over at him. "You sure it's just a fever?" he asked.  
Faize wiped the vomit from his mouth. "I'm fine." he said, accepting Iron Bull's help back up.  
"So, where's this statue?" asked Muffy.  
Faize wandered into the clearing, his husband and brother staying close. "Here you are." he said, wiping away some vines. "Wow."  
"So, this is Mythal." said Lotus. "Kinda . . . "  
"Elfy." said Sera. "This is all great, finding some old statue, but now what? I mean, she's supposed to be dead, right? How's she gonna help us?"  
Faize knelt at the base of the statue. "Mythal, hear our plea. Please, as your servant, I ask you to send us help to deliver Thedas from the evil that threatens to destroy it."  
There was a sound, and suddenly, a human woman came walking towards them, but something seemed odd. It wasn't so much her age, or the white hair, but rather that said hair seemed to take the shape of a Dragon's horns.  
"You called for me?" she asked.  
"You?" asked Obsinion. "You are . . . Mythal?"  
"I house Mythal within me, yes." the woman replied.  
"I hate you." said Morrigan, who had come with them. "Mother."  
"Mother?" asked Faize. "But, she just said she was Mythal."  
"I am both." the woman said. "I have lived a great many years."  
"By possessing the bodies of your daughters." Morrigan spat out.  
"You have asked for my help, and I am here to let you know, you shall have it." said the woman. "You need only call for her, and she will obey you, little green one, but only once."  
Obsinion and Iron Bull looked at Faize. He would have to come for the final battle against Corypheus.  
"Thank you, Mythal."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: To Defeat a Darkspawn

"So, just how are we going to find Corypheus?" asked Cullen. The group had returned from the search for Mythal's statue, and to be honest, he was worried. His poor girlfriend had just had their baby a week and a half ago, and there was always a chance of death when dealing with Darkspawn. He had no idea how to care for a child, and it irked him whenever his tiny daughter had to be passed to someone else to feed, but there wasn't much choice. Poor Rose was unable to nurse, but an Elf had birthed close to the same time, and nursed Rose and Cullen's baby for them.  
There was a loud rumble outside, and the five Heralds looked at their hands. The marks were glowing.  
"I think he just gave us an invitation." said Muffy. She slung her war-hammer up onto her shoulder. "Time to give this ancient Tevinter Ass what's coming."  
Faize swallowed and looked at Obsinion. "Bull's coming with us." he said.  
Obsinion nodded. "We need at least one other mage, too."  
"Why?" asked Lotus, tapping her staff.  
"Teams of four." Cassandra said. "As we had agreed on back at Haven."  
"I'll go along, if it's alright?" Solas said, leaning on his staff slightly.  
"That's seven." said Obsinion. He looked the rest of the group over. "Anyone else?"  
"I should like to go." said Cole. "He makes things dark, ugly, frightening. I want to make it stop. To help."  
Faize smiled at him. "Thanks, Cole."  
"Great, you three are with Faize. The rest of us, with me." Obsinion looked out the window of the War Room, towards the floating rocks and swirling Breach that had just been re-opened. "We've got to make this fast."

It was almost predictable. Corypheus was making his obnoxious "I'm a bad guy who is going to crush the world" speech that none of the Heralds were actually listening to one moment, and the next, a huge yellow Dragon came flying over and took a bite out of Corypheus's ugly black Dragon, prompting a sky-fight between the two. This, naturally, pissed off Corypheus, and before any of them could move, the pieces of the Temple of Sacred Ashes were floating in the sky.  
Faize turned, pissed off at Corypheus, and fired three arrows at once at the guy, each one striking what should have been a vital body part. The ancient Tevinter Magister laughed, tossing a ball of fire at Faize as he floated off towards a staircase.  
Cole placed himself in the way of the blast, taking the Fireball to the back. "It . . . hurts." he groaned as Faize held him. "But you're safe, right?"  
"Thank you, Cole." Faize whispered. He looked up at Iron Bull. "Go, help Obsinion. If that Dragon isn't stopped by our Dragon, they're going to need you to kill it."  
Iron Bull nodded, glancing back once as he and Solas charged up the stairs to continue the fight.  
Obsinion noticed them out the corner of his eye as they charged Corypheus, fighting and struggling to keep the Darkspawn from realizing that his Dragon was loosing to the Inquisition Dragon.  
All at once, there was a loud cry from the golden Inquisition Dragon, and a sharp yelp from Faize where he was tending to Cole's burns.  
The fight had turned, and the golden Dragon struck one of the floating rocks, sending it flying away and separating Faize and Cole from the rest of the team. The black Dragon's claws sank into the golden one's side, and he slammed it into the ground, killing the gift from Mythal.  
This put the black Dragon between Obsinion's group of six and Corypheus, who continued to retreat up the spires.  
Iron Bull was pissed. Chunks of rock had fallen with the golden Dragon, and he had no idea if his beloved Faize or the spirit Cole were alive, since their floating rock was practically right below the crash site. With a loud roar of his own, the huge Qunari charged at the Dragon, hacking at any part of it that was within reach.  
He wasn't the only one. Obsinion was angry as well. He was the only one to know that a good collection of Inquisition forces were down below, watching this mess from somewhere between the remains of Haven and the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and that included his darling Cassandra, as well as Rose's beloved Cullen and their baby. He charged, taking a flying leap at the Dragon's throat while the others distracted it with attacks to the legs and belly. His sword came crashing down, slashing through the neck of the beast, and spraying blood everywhere.  
The creature shrieked, thrashing everywhere as they continued to attack. Lotus was struck by the tail, and was flung to another floating rock somewhere.  
Muffy growled, not a pretty thing for a Dwarf to do, and swung her war-hammer, striking the Dragon's leg hard and smashing the bone into splinters. The beast crashed to the ground, unable to support itself as Iron Bull took out the matching leg at the front.  
Solas fired off another ice attack, striking the beast in the neck. Obsinion saw his chance, striking hard across the brittle, frozen flesh. The Dragon howled, and then, it's head was sheared clean off. A piece of red magic floated out of the rapidly decaying body, returning to Corypheus.  
The Darkspawn could now be killed.  
With a loud battle cry, Obsinion led the remaining warriors towards Corypheus. Even as the Magister tried anything and everything he could to hit them, claw them, strike them with his own magic, the remaining five Inquisition soldiers fought hard. But it wasn't without sacrifice.  
At one point, Rose managed to duck in close enough to try to strike with her blades, but Corypheus turned and blasted her back with his strange red magic. She skid back, her leg bleeding, and her shoulder hanging limply from it's socket. He used his magic to throw a boulder at her, but the Iron Bull and Muffy slashed it, making the impact with Rose less than it would normally have been. Still, she was unconscious.  
And then, Corypheus pulled out the Orb. "I have had enough of your meddling, Elf!" he shouted. He focused his power through the Orb, and Muffy grabbed her hand, wincing with the pain.  
Obsinion, however, put his hand out like he was going to close a Fade Rift, and the Orb came sailing into his hand. "This was never yours to begin with." he said. There was a cracking sound, and then the orb fell. Obsinion put his hand out, right next to Corypheus's head. "You want the Fade so bad?!" A Rift opened, swallowing Corypheus whole. "Have it! There are lot of spirits and demons pissed off with you!" The Rift closed, and the sky above closed.  
That wasn't the real problem, though. Without Corypheus's magic, the floating stones couldn't float. They came crashing down, in rapid succession, jolting those that were trapped on them.  
Obsinion picked himself up off the ground. "Solas?"  
The Elf was kneeling over the Orb, shattered into three fragments.  
"I'm sorry." said Obsinion. "At least we stopped Corypheus."  
"That is true." Solas agreed. "Some things were not meant for mortal hands."  
"Obsinion?"  
He looked over. "Cassandra?" He hurried to the top of the steps. "Cassandra!" He hurried down, gathering his wife close in a tight and loving embrace. "It's done."  
"Yes." she said.  
"There is that." said Sera, pointing up at the sky. There was a ribbon of light across it, like a scar.  
"Yeah." Obsinion looked back at them. "Have you found the others?"  
"We found Lotus." Leliana replied. "Most are still with you, right?"  
"Cole and Faize weren't." Obsinion replied. "Faize stayed back to tend to a burn wound Cole suffered."  
"Oh no." Cassandra looked around. "COLE! FAIZE!"  
"I am here." came a voice. "But . . . we can't move."  
Cullen and Blackwall hurried over. "Just keep talking to us." Cullen called out.  
"Over here. Under some rocks." A pale hand was all they saw to indicate where the pair were. "There is . . . something wet."  
Iron Bull, his body covered in scratches and cuts, came over to help. Dorian joined them, using his magic to lift some of the stones. They found Cole first, his pale face covered in dirt and blood, his back only partially bandaged with the Dalish healing medicine.  
"Cole. Thank goodness you're alive." said Muffy, who had also come over to help.  
Cole only turned his head away, back to the figure underneath him. He'd tried his best, but he was smaller than any of the others, except for Varric and Muffy. "He's . . . hurting." he said.  
Iron Bull lifted Cole carefully and placed him on one of the smaller horses that had been there. Carefully, he lifted the Elf that Cole had been trying to protect.  
"Faize?" Obsinion put his hand up to his face. "No."  
For the first time, Iron Bull was completely silent as he walked out of the Temple of Sacred Ashes, holding his beloved husband close.

The healers set to work on everyone's wounds as the wagons made their way towards Skyhold. It was a lot of work.  
Cole had to be treated for burns and two fractured ribs, and was told to stay in the wagon for the rest of the trip. He was one of the lucky ones.  
Rose had to have her arm relocated, and was suffering a concussion, a broken leg, and something the Elves teased her lightly about called 'Worried mother syndrome'. She was much happier once Cullen and their daughter were with her.  
Muffy was lucky, having only to worry about the blood from the Dragon and a gash on her arm that she refused to leave alone after it was bandaged.  
"It's going to scar." scolded Vivienne.  
"I know!" Muffy grinned. "See? It looks like a . . . I'll cover it up." She frowned, adding "spoil-sport."  
Obsinion had some cuts and scratches, and had to have his shield arm tended to because of the impact sustained when the chunks of earth returned to the ground. He sat with Cassandra and a rather quiet Iron Bull.  
Faize didn't move, didn't wake. They had to feed him his medicine and a liquid diet all the way back to Skyhold, where he was moved to the healer's quarters for further observation.  
It confused Obsinion and Cassandra, though, that Iron Bull insisted that only the Elf healer and Stitches, the healer from the Chargers, be the ones to handle Faize.  
"Iron Bull, what is it?" asked Obsinion. "Why only those two?"  
The huge Qunari sighed, sitting on a bench next to his unconscious lover. Carefully, he ran his hand over Faize's pale cheek. "Remember how you found that page?" he asked.  
"Yeah. Faize gave it to me after I chewed him out in the War Room." Obsinion replied. "What is it?" He sighed, shaking his head. "He lied to me again, didn't he?"  
The Qunari sighed. "I let him lie." he replied. "We knew what it might cost, but we also knew a world with Corypheus in charge was no place for children. We had Rose and Cullen's child to consider, as well as your's and Cassandra's." He carefully placed his large hand over Faize's small abdomen. "But yes. We went into this knowing he was pregnant."  
Cassandra only stood there a moment. "Is he going to be alright?" she asked.  
"The healer said he wasn't bleeding, so things are probably alright." Iron Bull replied. "I was going to ask him to stay behind with you, but then that woman, Mythal, said the Dragon would only respond to Faize's call. I was grateful when Cole . . ."  
"He knows." said Obsinion. "Cole is very perceptive. It's probably why he got in the way of the Fireball that was thrown at him."  
"There is to be a celebration tonight, in honor of defeating Corypheus and closing up the sky." Cassandra said. She looked at Faize. "I know it sounds stupid, but I hope he wakes soon, for both your sakes."  
"Thankyou, Sister."  
"Hmm?" Cassandra and Obsinion looked at Iron Bull.  
"What did you say?" Cassandra asked.  
"Well, I read that book Obsinion gave me. Since Obsinion is Faize's brother, and I married Faize . . ." He stopped suddenly, looking down at the Elf lying on the bed.  
"Iron Bull?" asked Obsinion.  
"Get the healer." the Qunari said softly. His free hand touched Faize's pale face again.  
Obsinion headed out, grabbing Stitches. "Bull says to get over to the room Faize is in."  
Stitches didn't question, just headed to the room. "Yeah, Boss?" he asked.  
A soft groan came from the figure on the bed.  
Stitches smiled, the one corner of his mouth turning up in a smirky grin. "Let's see." He came over and checked Faize's forehead and ears. "He's a bit warm, Boss." Carefully, he checked Faize's chest and arms, noting that the Elf was bandaged over the right arm again.  
A weak cry escaped Faize when Stitches touched his sore abdomen.  
Stitches looked up at Faize, then over to his Boss. "Do I ask?" When Iron Bull gave a slight shake of his head, the healer went back to checking everything else over. "He might be a little weak, but he's going to make it." He stood up. "I'd suggest some fresher air and some food."  
Faize groaned from where he lay, and felt pathetic when Iron Bull picked him up and carried him outside. He held his hand up, blinking for a while until he adjusted to the brightness.  
"You had us worried." said Obsinion. "What were you thinking, going onto a battlefield like that, in your condition?"  
"I thought that, that even if mine was lost, yours would at least have a chance at seeing a world without Corypheus."  
Obsinion looked at his brother. "Don't do it again, ok? You scared me and Cassandra, and he hasn't eaten much since we found you wounded."  
Faize sighed. "I'm sorry."  
Iron Bull carefully let Faize stand. "Like he said, Kadan, don't do this again."  
Faize wobbled where he was, and Iron Bull held him close to support him. "I promise." he said. "And, did you really not eat?"  
"Couldn't." Iron Bull replied. "I was that worried."  
The younger Lavellan looked up at him. "I'll be ok."  
Obsinion sighed, looking over at Cassandra. "What?" he asked.  
She carefully took his hand and dragged him away from prying eyes, up to his room. There was a playful smile on her face, something reserved only for Obsinion.  
"What is it?" Obsinion asked as she barred the door.  
Cassandra turned towards him, pushing the elder Lavellan onto the bed and standing in front of him.  
"Did I do something wrong?"  
"Now that your brother is taken care of, it's time for me to lecture you." she said. "You had me scared half to death when the floating rocks came down and the dust was everywhere. We could hear Rose and Muffy, and the first figure we saw was too big to be you. I thought you had died."  
Obsinion looked up at her, his large purple eyes showing his sudden worry for her. "I'm so sorry."  
"I'm glad you answered when you did. Cullen was about to charge in there with the Templars to find you as soon as the dust settled." Cassandra returned. She noticed Obsinion was looking at her now obviously swollen belly. "The child was happy to hear your voice again as well." She stepped closer, letting Obsinion lean on her pregnant belly and gently caress the expanse.  
"Wow. There's a lot of movement." said Obsinion. He reached over and took Cassandra's hand. "Well, now that the thing with Corypheus is over, what are we going to do?"  
"You're still an important figure to all of Thedas." Cassandra reminded him. "Whoever becomes the next Divine is going to need the support of the Inquisition to enforce the changes that will no doubt come."  
"I know." Obsinion gave her hand a light squeeze. "So that means we're still going to need Josephine. I suck at talking to diplomats."  
"And her apparent girlfriend." said Cassandra. "You should have seen it when we got back. All this time, I thought . . ."  
Obsinion held a finger to her lips as he stood in front of her. "Shh. I don't need to know right now. Josephine did plan a party for our return, and I'd like some quiet time, just you and me, before the festivities start."  
Cassandra reached around his neck, giving him a warm and passionate kiss.

The party was loud by the time Obsinion and Cassandra came down to join it. It was easy to spot Vivienne, standing with a few of the mages that had joined the Inquisition and talking with them like they were ordinary people. Varric was also easy to spot, standing with Blackwall and a person with a red stripe across their face.  
"I knew he was lying." said Cassandra. "But I guess Varric had a good reason for not telling any of us where Hawk went." She leaned on Obsinion. "Besides, of the two of you, I prefer you."  
Obsinion smiled, waving slightly to Faize and Iron Bull, who were sitting at one of the tables with the Chargers around them. Looking around, he spotted Leliana standing with a few of the Chantry Mothers, talking about something. Dorian was off in a corner, talking with a few people that looked like they were important. Muffy and Sera were sprawled under two of the tables, drunk as a pair of Fennec, and Rose was with Cullen talking to a few people who looked familiar.  
"Excuse me." said Cullen. He turned and motioned for Obsinion and Cassandra to come over. "Obsinion, you were asking earlier. This is my family."  
"You're him." said one of the two women standing there. "You're the Inquisitor. Oh, I've heard a lot about you," she glared at Cullen, "and none of it from my brother."  
"He was busy with the Tempars." Obsinion said, trying to keep the peace.  
"Is it true you walked out of the Fade, led by Andraste?" asked the young man.  
"I'd like to believe that." Obsinion replied. "But I wasn't the only one there."  
"Yes." said the other woman. "But Cullen's girl here doesn't say much."  
"My name is Rose." she corrected. "And I don't say much because I was here at Skyhold most of the time."  
"Obsinion." said Cassandra. She tugged him away.  
"See you later." said Cullen, turning back to continue talking with his family.  
"What is it?" Obsinion asked.  
Cassandra was trying hard not to laugh as she discreetly pointed to Cole, who was making a face at the liquid in his cup.  
"What is it?" Cole asked.  
"It's called wine." said Josephine. "You drink it."  
"But, it's making everything fuzzy. Garbled. Like a tangle of thread, loose, but still tight." Cole said. He still obliged Josephine and finished what he had, coughing afterwards.  
"You don't just knock it back like that." smiled Obsinion.  
"Oh." Cole wobbled a bit where he was standing, grateful when he was able to sit down. "It makes my head hurt."  
"Lightweight!" called a Charger.  
"I don't think I weight much." Cole replied, only to get more laughs from Iron Bull's table.  
Just then, a hand snaked around Josephine. "There you are." came a soft voice.  
"Lotus." Josephine smiled, turning towards the female Qunari. "I thought you didn't want anyone to know." she said.  
"Well, now that Corypheus is gone, I don't see the point in hiding it. Muffy made a decent distraction for others to think about, but I'd really rather have been the one with my arms around you at Halamsharal."  
"You two look good together." said Obsinion. He sighed, looking around. He'd found almost everyone in the inner circle. There was only one missing.  
"Who are you looking for?" Cassandra asked.  
"Where is Solas?" Obsinion asked. "After all he's done to help, I was certain he'd still be around."  
"He is an Apostate." Cassandra reminded. "He may have decided to leave, now that the threat is over."  
"Actually, I thought I might stay after all." came a soft voice. Obsinion turned, spotting the bald Elf right away.  
"Glad you could make it, Solas." he said.  
Solas walked past Obsinion, pausing slightly to whisper, "You are the one I watch, after all", before slipping soundlessly into the crowd.  
Obsinion turned, looking a little confused.  
"What is it?" Iron Bull asked, helping Faize along.  
"Nothing." Obsinion replied. "I'm just glad everyone is here."  
"Me too." said Faize.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Aftermath of the Inquisition - Part 1

"So, they chose you after all."  
"Don't worry. I'll be able to do more as the Divine than I was here."  
"It's still hard to believe that after everything we've been through, I won't be allowed to call you by name anymore."  
"True. Divine Victoria is going to be hard to get used to." She smiled at her friend. "But don't worry, Cassandra. What I plan on doing will help everyone."  
"I know, Leliana. It's just . . . we were always together helping the Divine. It just feels a bit strange that suddenly, you are the Divine."  
Leliana gave Cassandra gentle hug. "I will always think of you like a sister."  
"And same with you." Cassandra replied. "You will see us when the baby comes, right?"  
"I'll come to bless the child myself, if Obsinion will allow it."  
Cassandra nodded.  
It had been a month since the closing of the Breach. A scar still marked the sky, to show everyone what they almost lost. Cassandra was finishing her seventh month, and starting to wonder just how much bigger she was going to get.  
"If I'll allow what?" Obsinion asked. He was dressed in his formal attire, but the collar was undone and the sash was untied, meaning he'd just escaped Josephine and another diplomatic envoy.  
"Having the new Divine bless our baby after he or she is born." Cassandra replied.  
Obsinion looked at Leliana and smiled slightly. "Why not? This Inquisition was made to make things better for everyone, and I figure we should set an example. I may not be what everyone calls Andrastian, but I won't deny my child the right to a blessing from the Divine herself."  
"Well then, you'll have to send me a letter when the little one comes." said Leliana. "And thank you, Obsinion."  
"When the Chantry asked who I would nominate for Divine, my first question was who the candidates were. As soon as they said Cassandra, I went pale. Naturally, when you came up as the other person, I nominated you. Apparently Cassandra would have been forced to null our marriage and give up our child upon it's birth if she were to be Divine. I couldn't do that to her. Besides, with your spy network, I'm sure no-one will oppose the changes you wanted to make."  
Leliana smiled. "You be good her, now, alright?"  
"Yes, Divine Victoria." the Elf said with an impish grin.  
"I have to go. Take care."  
As they watched Leliana leave in the Chantry Carriage, Cassandra leaned on Obsinion's shoulder. "I only wonder one thing."  
"And that is?"  
"What the Chantry is going to think of Leliana's pet Nugs."

The Inquisition made an appearance at the huge event that was held to crown Leliana as Divine Victoria. In the two months that followed, the Circles were reinstated, with more emphasis on helping the Mages, no matter their species, learn how to control their abilities and interact with regular people. This included making sure that if Mages stood out as Healers, they were sent to help in the Chantry hospitals, and Knight-Enchanters were among the warriors out on the field. Templars were given a few more restrictions, but things went well. Dorian, alongside Viviene, turned the Circles into wondrous places of learning.  
The Templars and Mages who did not rejoin the Order remained under Obsinion's flag, following Commander Cullen, and becoming the Inquistion Guard, and a force to be feared and admired across Thedas.

Cassandra stood by the window, watching as the sun rose. She was close to the end of her pregnancy, and it was showing. Her back ached, and she hated walking because it was so awkward.  
"Love?" asked Obsinion.  
"Obsinion." she said, turning to face him. She sighed. "I was thinking."  
Obsinion leaned close and gave her a kiss. "About the baby?"  
She nodded. "I'm a bit frightened."  
"Has anything happened?"  
Cassandra nodded. "It's a light pain, and not very often." She grabbed Obsinion's hand. "Please, stay with me today."  
Obsinion was startled. Cassandra was never this way. She was always a strong woman. To see her like this tore at him, and he held his beloved close. "I have work, though." he whispered.  
"Let Josephine handle the nobles." Cassandra said. "I need you, here, with me, right now."  
Obsinion nodded. "Alright. I won't leave you."  
It was a good thing he didn't leave Cassandra's side. Within the hour, she was in more pain that the Elf had ever wanted to see her in. He sent for the Elf healer, then stayed at his beloved's side.  
"It's alright, Cassandra." he soothed. "I'm here for you."  
"I hate this pain!" she complained. "If there is any way to relieve it . . . AAH!"  
The healer came in, closing the door quickly and almost running to Cassandra's side. "Dear Andraste." she whispered. "It's already coming."  
"I know!" Cassandra snapped out, her hand crushing Obsinion's. With another pain-filled moan, the baby was born.  
"There we are." said the healer. She held the baby, who wriggled and cried loudly, placing the child on the bed as Cassandra cried out again.  
And so it went. Poor Obsinion could do absolutely nothing except try not to faint as his hand was crushed again, and their second child was born.  
"Well, that takes care of that." smiled the healer once the delivery was over. "You two are lucky. One of each." She helped Cassandra sit up a bit and handed her the baby. "You're firstborn, Inquisitor." she said as she handed Obsinion the first one.  
Obsinion was glad he was sitting as he looked down at the little girl in his arms. "Look, Cassandra. Our little girl." he said. He looked over at the baby happily nursing from his mother. "He's so cute."  
"And hungry." Cassandra added. "So, what names do we give them?"  
Obsinion looked at the two children. They looked almost human, except for their ears, which were just slightly pointed. He knew it was just plain blasphemy to name their daughter what first came to mind, but he said it anyway. "What about a variant of Andraste?"  
"Really?" asked Cassandra. "I was thinking the same thing." She smiled. "Adria."  
Obsinion nodded. "And I have no idea what to call our son." he added.  
The baby yawned where he was snuggled against his mother, then blinked at them. He had purple eyes, just like his father, and they could already tell his hair was going to be dark.  
"I don't really know, either." she replied. "Is there something Dalish, perhaps?"  
Obsinion reached a hand over and touched his son's soft head. "Felden." he said. "A variant of one of the Elven Old Gods."  
"Felden." Cassandra looked down at the baby. "It suits him."

Faize frowned. He was showing, given he was about four and a half months along, and being with the Chargers while Iron Bull was out reporting to his superiors in Qundalon wasn't what he'd call fun. He'd been without his beloved for six weeks, and it was starting to show in his behavior.  
Krem noticed the moody Elf and came to sit beside him. "Hey."  
Faize didn't answer, just sat there scratching something on the parchment in front of him with with a graphite lump.  
"Sorry about the rest of the Chargers acting like that."  
"It's what they do." Faize replied. "I know they were just trying to have a bit of fun."  
"Calling you fat isn't having just a bit of fun." Krem returned. "That was just plain rude on Grim's part." He glanced over. "That's pretty good."  
"I got the eye-patch wrong." Faize said softly. "Hey!"  
Krem swiped the picture and looked it over. "I don't see any flaws." he said. "It's a great likeness of the Chief."  
Faize sighed. "If you say so."  
"So um, the Chief asked me to make sure your not . . . you know."  
The young Lavellan subconsciously tugged the edge of his right sleeve down.  
"You're hurt?"  
Faize looked over at Krem. "It's just a bruise." he replied.  
"Let me see." Krem frowned when he saw that the bruise looked like it came from rope, and this suspicion was furthered when he spotted an identical bruise on the other wrist, as well as coarse burn marks, like the Elf had struggled. "Where'd it come from?" he asked. When the Elf said nothing, Krem frowned. "You're being bullied, aren't you?"  
No response.  
"Chief better get back soon." said Dalish. "Look at the poor thing."  
"Yeah." agreed Stitches. "I've heard depression can do relationships harm, and worse if one of the pair is expecting."  
Faize sighed, leaning forward on the table.  
Suddenly, the Chargers started singing. "No man can beat the Chargers, 'cause we'll hit you where it hurts! Unless you know a Tavern with loose cards and looser skirts! For every Bloody battlefield we'll gladly raise a cup! No matter what tomorrow holds, our horns be pointing up!"  
Faize tilted his head to look at Krem. "Thanks."  
"Is that how you guys greet me?"  
Faize looked up. "Bull!" He got up from his seat and practically ran to the other, barely managing to get his arms around his huge Qunari neck.  
"I see you missed me." Iron Bull smiled. "You guys took good care of him, right?"  
Faize tugged his sleeves down over his wrists, but the motion was still caught. In an instant, Iron Bull had one sleeve pulled up and was checking the bruises and rope burns.  
"Who hurt you?" he asked.  
Faize swallowed. "N-n-no-one." he said.  
"You know I don't like lies, Kadan."  
"It's true." Faize replied. "I . . . I was afraid I'd hurt myself, so . . ."  
Krem nodded. "So, the terrors did come back." he said. "Sorry, Chief. We thought we were doing everything we could to keep those things away."  
Iron Bull gently massaged the bruised flesh on Faize's wrist. "Were the Chargers good to you?"  
"Two of them picked on me, called me fat." Faize replied. "And Krem's been taking my parchments on me."  
Iron Bull raised an eyebrow at his second-in-command. "And what are you doing with those parchments, exactly?"  
"Binding them, Chief. If I hadn't seen him with a bow when we first met him, I'd think he was just an artist."  
Iron Bull looked down at Faize, who was leaning on him, _needing_ him to be close. "It's alright, Kadan." He put an arm around Faize, and that's when he noticed the bulge to his lover's midsection. "You did get bigger, though."  
A playful swat greeted Iron Bull's arm, and then Faize managed to get his kiss in.

"The Iron Bull just returned, Inquisitor." said Josephine. "Is it really wise to ask him to leave again so soon?"  
"I'm sure. It's not going to be that difficult, and it's a job for all the Chargers. Officially or not, that includes my brother." Obsinion replied, checking that the carriage he and Cassandra would be riding in with their twins would be alright. There were three other wagons in the collection as well, to move the food, tents, and for the Chargers to just relax in during the trip to Val Royeaux.  
"Very well. I'll get them together at once." Josephine sighed as she headed to the tavern, where she could hear the Chargers loud and unruly banter from outside the establishment.  
And so, with about an hour's fussing and yelling (mostly on Iron Bull's part to get his Chargers in line), they were off to Val Royeaux.  
Obsinion sat beside Cassandra in the carriage, the only reason the cover being up even though it was nice weather was for Adria and Felden's sakes. Otherwise, Obsinion would have had the cover down so they could enjoy the fresh air a bit better.  
Across from them, sleeping peacefully, was Faize, curled up like an over-sized cat, finally relaxing now that The Iron Bull was back with them.  
"It is honestly amazing how relaxed your brother is with only the knowledge that Iron Bull is around." observed Casandra. From her place in her mother's arms, Adria blew spit bubbles.  
"Six weeks is a long time to be apart from a loved one." Obsinion replied. "I'm just . . . are his wrists bandaged?"  
"It looks like it." Cassandra replied.  
Obsinion, always the caring older brother, crossed the space of the carriage and checked the bandages. They were obviously done by Iron Bull, considering pieces of Elfroot and Spindleweed were peeking out, and between some of the bandages you could see a bit of Rashvine. Shaking his head, Obsinion returned to his seat with Cassandra.  
"Will he be alright?" Cassandra asked.  
"Yeah. There's a mixture under the bandages so he'll heal a bit quicker, so I'm not too worried."

Leliana, or rather Divine Victoria, was glad to see Obsinion and Cassandra, and was even more pleased when she saw the twins. Val Royeaux itself was decorated and had an air of festiveness about it, for their Divine was going to bless the Children of the Inquisitor. The party-like atmosphere only improved when Iron Bull asked Leliana if she could also bless Faize and their coming child so they would be healthy.  
"Why did you ask that?" asked Faize after the initial meeting.  
"Well, I received a written notice from my bosses in the Qun. They said that, since I was already borderline Tal-Vashoth, they would let me do whatever was necessary to see that the Chantry saw Qunari as people, too. I figured, while neither of us are really Andrastian, it would be beneficial at least to the Vashoth living in the Circles if we asked for your pregnancy to be blessed."  
Faize hugged Iron Bull. "Thank you. I hope it helps the Qunari and the Elfhen."  
"Yeah, I noticed you pronounce that different from Obsinion or even Solas. Why?"  
"My favorite line in Dalish history. 'We are the last of the Elfhen, no more shall we submit.' It was in reference to an Exalted March or whatever across the Exalted Plains, and that they were making slaves of the Elves in order to force their conversion to the Maker."  
"Obviously didn't work for everyone." Iron Bull replied.  
"I still believe in the Elfhen Gods, but I also believe that there is a Maker. He made the gods I grew up with, they just were his other children."  
Iron Bull nodded. "It is a good way to think." He placed a hand on the bulge on Faize's abdomen. "I think this family is going to be a good one."  
"I think so, too."

Obsinion made a face. "Why must you wiggle so much when I dress you?" he asked, trying to get his son's arm in the sleeve of his baby-suit. As soon as the hand was in, one leg managed to get out of the bottom, and the struggle started anew.  
"Like this." said Cassandra, reaching over and dressing the baby. "There."  
"How did you manage that? I've been at it for a good part of an hour."  
"Practice." Cassandra replied, giving her Elven husband a kiss. "Come on. I still need some help dressing."  
"In what?" Obsinion's face nearly fell off when he saw the gown that had been made for Cassandra to wear for the blessing of their children. "That's a lot of frills."  
"I know, and this is the less-frilly version that Leliana convinced them to make." the woman replied. "I'd hate to see what the other version looked like."  
"I'm honestly afraid of what their going to put Faize in." Obsinion replied.  
"NO!" came a shout from the hallway.  
"Looks like we may be finding out sooner, rather than later." Cassandra remarked, stepping behind the dressing wall with her article of clothing just in time.  
Faize, looking for someone to defend him from the Chantry clothiers, banged on the door. "Obsinion!" he cried.  
The older Lavellan answered the door, frowning at the three clerics that were behind his brother as the younger clung to him. "What is it, Faize?"  
"A DRESS!" Faize blurted out, loud enough for the Iron Bull to poke his head of of his own room, six doors down.  
Obsinion glared at the trio of clerics. "He's a man." he stated flatly. "And a Dalish Elf, I might add. No frills, no ruffles, and absolutely NO dresses." He pushed Faize back out of the room. "I need to dress for this." He closed the door with a sigh.  
The trio of clerics looked at Faize. "There has been nothing else prepared." said one, a short, chubby little thing with freckles and a lock of red hair poking out from under her hat.  
"Can't I just wear men's clothes?" Faize asked, making his way down to where Iron Bull was standing in the doorway. The Qunari had been in an argument of his own, given that he was only wearing pants, and another torn shirt hung from his musculature.  
"But what will others say?" asked the second, a tall wisp of a woman with just the starting of wrinkles upon her otherwise perfect features.  
"If they knew anything of the marriage between Iron Bull and myself, or even heard rumors of the Inquisitor's little brother, they already know I'm a guy." Faize replied.  
"Excuse us." A trio of young Elves, probably still teenagers, stood at the end of the hall.  
"What is it?" asked the third cleric, her skin as dark as Josephine's.  
"If we could help?" asked one of the Elves. It was then that they noticed the trio were male, mark-less, and one of them was from the Circle, just by the Templar that stood at a slight distance away.  
"What could you three come up with?" asked the second cleric.  
"We are Elves." said the mage.  
"And we've worked for the Chantry." said the other two.  
"We could quickly assemble something that will both be acceptable to the Chantry and not be a dress." added the mage.  
"I don't mind." Faize replied. "I wasn't trying to be rude, I just . . . only Dorian wears dresses, and it's kind of scarring."  
Iron Bull shuddered from where he stood.  
"Get back in here so I can fix this!" cried the tailor.

Iron Bull crossed his arms. The shirt had ended up tailored similar to the formal attire he'd worn at the ball in Halamsharal. The only difference was the Qunari symbol stitched into the back. He didn't want to know which of the Chargers had made it, since every puffy, fluffy sleeved thing the tailor made ripped whenever he moved. Krem had brought the article, subtly reminding the tailor at the same time that when outfitting one of the 'Oxmen', one should make the cut larger than it looks to be.  
Beside him, nicely outfitted, was Faize. Dressed in a Dalish maternity tunic over looser pants, with a simple overcoat marked with Dalish decor along the edges and the Iquisition symbol in the center-back. It made the Clerics quite happy, and they mentioned possibly making this a new style, should it catch well with the other nobility.  
Cassandra tugged at her dress a bit, fiddling with the loose frills in her sleeve before also fussing with Adria's dress. The baby was gowned up in a dress that was twice her length, and ruffled like crazy, blending in with Cassandra's own ruffles. They were both outfitted in royal red, and Cassandra's dress swept behind her some despite the ruffles under the skirt.  
Beside her, Obsinion was dressed in royal blue, with one of those awful cravats that made him feel like he was going to choke, and black pants and boots. In his arms, Felden wore a similar outfit, and had somehow managed to get his foot out of his sleeper booty and had it shoved down the other pant leg.  
Divine Victoria stepped out in her official regalia and led the masses in a moment of prayer, and then, a song. One the two families to be blessed remembered well as the one Mother Giselle sang after they had lost Haven.  
Taking Adria in her arms, the Divine prayed over the child, asking that the Maker help guide the little girl just as he guided her namesake, Andraste. She gave a similar prayer for Felden, asking the Maker to help the child be a bridge between Humans and Elves. When it came to Faize, she placed one hand on his belly and the other took the hand of the Iron Bull. She prayed that the unity be blessed with a healthy child, and that the Maker would keep them all safe through it.  
After the blessings, there was the final hymn, and then, all of Val Royeaux celebrated.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Aftermath of the Inquisition - Part 2

Obsinion was more than happy once they were on their way back. The week of celebration at Val Royeaux had left him with not only a headache, but a bad itch across his shoulders and chest. Whatever that suit was made of that he wore two days ago, he was allergic to it.  
"Don't scratch." scolded Cassandra as Obsinion raked his nails across the reddened flesh.  
"Cassandra, it itches." he whined back, even as she took his wrists so he couldn't scratch. He knew he was sounding like a child, but the itch was so bad he'd scratched his flesh raw in several places.  
"Here." A small hand that Obsinion recognized right away as Faize's, rubbed a cool mixture over the raw, inflamed flesh. As he did, he sang a short Dalish poem that made Obsinion smile.  
"What was that?" asked Cassandra, letting Obsinion's wrists go when Faize finished.  
"It's a salve." Faize replied. "It should help speed his healing, and it'll help take away the itch." He looked at Obsinion as he said the next part, "And Halla-fur shirt for you." He placed the garment in his brother's arms and left the room to help where he could with getting the wagons ready.  
Obsinion carefully ran his hand over the soft fur cloth of the shirt. Looking up, he noticed Cassandra had walked away to feed one of the twins. With a sigh, he put the shirt over, relaxing a bit at the familiar touch of the soft fur against his inflamed skin. It would be nice to get back out on the road.  
That thought crashed when he spotted Iron Bull and Krem rounding up the last of the Chargers. The group of mercenaries had been drinking, and now would be of little use as guards for at least part of the trip back.  
"Sorry, Chief. I tried to keep them out of the hard stuff." Krem apologized.  
"It ain't you I'm mad at." said the Qunari as he tossed the last two into the back of a wagon. "It's Dalish and Stitches. Without a healer or an 'archer', we're pretty much blind out there." He looked at Faize and added, "You don't count."  
Faize frowned. "Why not?"  
"Your range of sight's been varying since you've gotten . . . bigger." said Krem. "Nothing against you, you can still hit the targets. It's just that they have to be closer."  
Faize nodded and climbed into the second wagon, settling onto the floor as Iron Bull climbed in with him and Krem took the reigns.  
And so they headed back to Skyhold. The trip was quiet-ish, for the most part, until the drunken Chargers would break out into a slurred version of singing that sounded like a group of half-dead Wyverns and Dragonlings trying to carry a tune. It was awful, and prompted Krem to put the cover over the wagon to muffle the noise.  
"They seem . . . lively." said Cassandra. She smiled as Felden grabbed her finger.  
Obsinion sighed, laughing lightly as Adria started chewing on her sleeve, rather fascinated with the flavor of cotton.  
Suddenly, the warning horn went off. Something was coming at the caravan, and it looked hostile.  
Quickly, Cassandra slipped into the hidden compartment under the wagon seat, taking both children with her before Obsinion closed it and covered it over again. The Elf armed himself with his old sword and shield, checking outside to see what was coming.  
A band of raiders, their faces covered so you couldn't see who they were, came riding up alongside the caravan, screaming and shouting. One raised a torch and set the wagon Faize and Iron Bull were on ablaze.  
Krem leapt off the wagon, cutting the horses loose and turning to face the bandits. The Chargers, even though they were sloshed out of their skulls when they'd left Val Royeaux, put up a decent fight, letting Obsinion's carriage get away, but only theirs.  
Suddenly, the raiders scattered, leaving several wounded Chargers and an unconscious Iron Bull, his head bloodied.

Obsinion let Cassandra out of the hidden compartment as the carriage clattered into a town a days ride away from Skyhold. "Darling?"  
"Obsinion. Is everything alright?"  
"I'm not sure. The wagon behind us caught fire, and the Chargers were trying to fight last I saw." He helped Cassandra out, taking Felden and Adria and holding them close. "I hope they make it soon."  
"I do, too." said Cassandra, taking the crying Adria back. "What do we do now?"  
"This was supposed to be our stop. It was a scheduled one, too, so if those raiders were able to figure out our travel path, they'll know we stopped here." Obsinion replied.  
"Then we should keep going." Cassandra replied. "We can't be here if they might have followed us."  
Obsinion nodded. "Let's continue, then." He looked to the driver of the carriage, who started the horses again, continuing on to Skyhold.

"Oh, my head."  
"Stay put, Chief." said Krem. "You took a bad knock to the noggin."  
"O-o-oh. Why's everything moving?"  
"Cause we're on the move." Krem replied. "We lost two men, and nearly every other Charger is wounded bad enough we won't be able to put up a fight if we're attacked again."  
"Who'd we loose?" Iron Bull asked.  
"They killed one of the throat-cutters, and we've lost Faize." Krem replied. "And don't go getting up. Your head wasn't the only thing hit."  
There was something akin to a pained whimper of an "I noticed" behind him, and Krem turned slightly to see Iron Bull nurturing his unfortunately bruising package.  
There was silence for a while as the sole surviving wagon continued along.  
"So, did anyone get a good look at them?" Iron Bull asked.  
"They were a mixed bunch. A few Qunari, some speedy Elves, there was a Dwarf or two from what I saw." Krem replied. "Mixed colors, too. The standard had a symbol from the Qun, the Dales, Orsimar, and the Inquisition."  
Iron Bull frowned. "They seemed too organized to be just any bunch of raiders." he said. "They knew exactly where to hit me to knock me out, but not kill me."  
"Yeah, and as soon as they had Faize, they took off." Krem added. "He was their target to start with."  
"Why him, though?" Iron Bull asked. "I mean, if they wanted someone of political importance, they'd have gone after Obsinion or his family."  
"Indirectly, they did." said Stitches as he finished patching up another Charger. "Faize is well known to be Obsinion's younger twin brother."  
Iron Bull sighed. "So, the question is where they went, and how we're getting Faize back."

"They did what?!" Obsinion shouted as the last wagon reached Skyhold and he was brought up to speed. "Where is he now?"  
"We don't know." said Krem. "I'm sorry, Boss."  
Obsinion let out a frustrated and defeated sigh. "Why him? Why Faize?"  
There was a soft tap sound, just barely audible, and a black-clothed figure walked over. The face was covered so they could only see the eyes, but from the slender build, they could guess accurately that this was an Elf.  
"Who are you?" asked Obsinion.  
The Elf only handed Obsinion a scroll, then leaned on the wall near the exit to Skyhold.  
"That's the collection of symbols the raider's wore." said Krem.  
Iron Bull remained sitting where he was, stewing and thinking.  
Obsinion carefully opened the scroll, sighing when he saw the contents.  
"What?" asked Iron Bull.  
"It's the demands for Faize's release." Obsinion replied, handing the scroll to the Qunari. "I don't know what to do."  
The Iron Bull took a look, his frown deepening and his anger really showing now. He looked back at Obsinion. "Your Inquisition is not up for bargain." he said as he stood and stalked over to the Elf. "Where is he?" he demanded, grabbing the other by the shirt.  
The Elf remained quiet, but the hood fell off when the Qunari gave the other a good shake, enough to rattle teeth and bones, but not kill the little bastard. For that what it was, was a male Elf, and one Obsinion knew quite well.  
The Elder's son from Clan Lavellan.  
"YOU!" Obsinion shouted. He turned on his heel, stalking away and getting the Elder of Clan Lavellan. "I protected you, when you needed protection. I fought for you, when you needed warriors. I sheltered you when the Clan was attacked. And your bastard son just stole my brother, so tell me why I shouldn't throw the rest of the clan out? It's not like you ever protected us."  
"He's an abomination." said the Elder. "A creature like him has no right to call himself a Dalish Elf, or a servant of Mythal."  
Obsinion pinned the other Elf to the wall. "That's not your choice, old man." he growled. "My brother made these choices for the one he loves, not for Clan Lavellan." He was breathing heavily. "Now, where is my brother?"

Faize remained kneeling on the patch of dirt, trying not to show any fear. Someone struck him, punched his face and knocked him to the ground again. Sitting up again, Faize wiped the blood from his lip and wrapped his arms around his belly. It was all he could do to try and protect the small life inside him.  
A week had passed since his capture. He never saw anyone's faces, but he had an idea who these were. A few of the Qunari had said Adaar, meaning they knew Lotus, but she wasn't among them. He also had a good idea the Elves around him were from Clan Lavellan, just by the jeers and snarky remarks. The Dwarves were obviously outcasts from Orsimar or wherever they came from, they still smelled of the earth. The few Humans called him by name, or called him Iron Bull's bitch. They were people who had left the Inquisition.  
Another punch landed across his face, and Faize lay sprawled across the ground. He was dazed, but managed to struggle into a curled position to try and protect his belly. Someone kicked him in the back, and then he was pulled off to the side and a rope tied to the collar he had been forced to wear.  
"Here, food." said one of the raiders.  
Faize accepted the meal handed to him, eating everything he'd been given and gnawing on the bone afterwards to try and get a few pieces of food out of his teeth. He looked out the high crack in the ceiling, noticing the sun was setting. He'd be able to sleep tonight, hopefully, and then, the beatings would start again the next morning.  
He knew what they wanted. They wanted his baby to die, because he was a male. He had slept with a Qunari. It wasn't a pure child, just like Obsinion's children, but those were acceptable because Obsinion had made Elves seem like something other than slave work.  
Hugging his knees, Faize tried to get a few hours of sleep, before the terrors would come and leave him awake the remainder of the night.

The Elder's son gagged as he was lifted from the water trough. "So, going to answer now?" asked Iron Bull. He was angry. It was now over two weeks, and they had yet to find out where his beloved Faize had been taken. The Elder had nearly died during his interrogation, once it had been found out that all of Clan Lavellan had been behind the capture of Faize.  
"Never." the bastard sneered.  
Lotus tilted her staff towards the kid. "Tell us, or so help me, the water's going to be the least of your concerns."  
"Like you could do anything, ox-bitch."  
Iron Bull let go of the Elf, and Lotus poked him with her staff, letting a light current of electricity run through his body. When she pulled her staff back, there was steam and some smoke coming from the Elf.  
"You're just like the Humans. In the end, what has the Inquisition done except close the hole in the sky?" the Elf asked, spitting a gob of blood onto the floor. "That little shit's probably already dead, anyway."  
Obsinion stepped in just then. "What did you say?"  
"I said the little cock-sucker's ox-brat is probably dead, and he's sobbing away that the darkspawn in his belly is now rotting inside him, killing him slowly." said the Elf. He sneered as Iron Bull grabbed him and dunked him back under the water. He wasn't sneering anymore when the Qunari pulled him back up about two minutes later, but was rather gasping and choking out water.  
Obsinion stood there, turning a dagger over in his hands. "You know, I really didn't want to have to ask him, since he can find so many little dirty secrets. But you know, your father really doesn't know where you assholes took Faize. So now, I'm going to ask him to pick through your little mind, and fling all your dirty little thoughts out into the open." He turned as Cole stepped into the room.  
"What's this scrawny waif going to do?" the Elf snapped.  
"Hair, softer than any I've touched. Skin paler, too. Too bad it's a boy, might try training him anyway. Jealousy, he's a better shot. I'm supposed to be the best, me! Anger, I pin him down. Pain, he bit me. I force him to do as I say, make him obedient." Cole looked at Obsinion. "Did I find it yet?"  
"No, but I don't think he's happy about his opinions of my brother being let out in the open. Keep going, Cole. Either he'll get embarrassed and tell us, or you'll find it."  
Cole looked back at the Elf. "There, the one I would train. How dare he escape and become more important. Following his brother like a puppy. Wait, there is another he clings to. Why can't he just come back, do what I want him to do? I want him, I NEED him to be obedient. I must be the important one."  
Iron Bull frowned. This was the bastard that made Faize get the night terrors, that trained him in seduction and the ways of sex? He hated the guy even more, now.  
"Deep, forested area. Lots of green, flowers. A cavern area, where precious metals and stones are found. Seal the collar on his neck, he can't escape. Beat until he bleeds, make it die." Cole suddenly held his head. "Make it die, so I can have my pet again." He looked at the Elf, frowning. "He want's to make your brother a slave, to sell to Tevinter."  
"Can you locate where he is?" Obsinion asked.  
"Tall, green trees. Flowers. Names for each tree." Cole said.  
"That sounds like where we were that one mission." said Iron Bull. "Can I dunk him again, Boss? He's making the ugly-Elf face."  
"Go ahead, and then put him in the cell. We need to go get Faize back."

"He's a resilient one."  
"He keeps trying to shield it."  
"Wouldn't blame him. I mean, we are beating on him."  
"Boss's orders."  
"Boss hasn't been back since we got the little shite."  
Faize gasped, hands around his swollen belly. It had been almost a month, and they were still trying to kill the child. It had gone from just hitting him to using small rune-stones to burn him, electrocute him, or even freeze him in addition to the hits. He whimpered, trying to calm his wiggling child.  
"Why kill the child, though?"  
"I dunno. The Boss wants it dead."  
"But . . ."  
"No buts. Just hit him."  
Faize flinched as he was struck across the head, knocking him to the floor again. He held his stomach, trying to defend the five and a half-month child inside.  
There was a sound from outside, and the tormentors turned as a huge figure stepped into the cavern.  
"Who's there?" asked one of the Humans.  
"The Iron Bull." came the angry reply. There was the sound of metal traveling through the air, and the war-hammer he was carrying collided with one of the Dwarves. "Now then, are you going to move, or do I have to move you?"  
The group parted, not wanting to get beaten by the infamous Iron Bull of the Ben-Hassrath. They soon found themselves arrested and being led back to Skyhold in chains.  
Faize only whimpered as Iron Bull picked him up and carried him out of the cave. He flinched in the sunlight, taking several minutes to be able to adjust to the brightness. By that time, he been placed on a cot in a wagon. He was still curled around his belly, and it took Iron Bull a while to get him to let go.  
Stitches shook his head as he checked over the burns, whether from fire, electricity, or ice.  
"Bull." Faize whispered.  
"I'm here, Faize. I'm here."  
Faize held the large hand that touched his face, tears running. "I'm sorry."  
"What's there to be sorry about?" Stitches asked as he felt over the belly.  
Faize yelped in pain, twisting and gasping. When he settled, it was only because he'd fainted.  
"That's all of them." said Obsinion. He saw Faize's tear-stained face and sighed. "Is he going to be alright?"  
"Several burns of different kinds all across his body, cuts from switches, bruises." said Stitches. "The baby keeps moving, but I wouldn't let him move much."  
"Why's that?" asked Iron Bull.  
"He's bleeding. If it goes on for too long, I'm going to have to do some dangerous work. It might kill him, the baby, or both, but we'll keep an eye on him first."  
"What kind of dangerous work are you talking about?" asked Obsinion.  
"Cutting the baby out." Stitches replied. "It's a last resort, and in his condition right now, one he would most likely die from."

Faize woke to the rocking of the wagon as it moved along, back towards Skyhold. "Bull?" he called out, coughing afterwards.  
"Shh." Iron Bull soothed. "Drink this. Stitches says it'll help you feel better."  
The Elf drank, crawling into the lap of his lover and wrapping his arms around the other. He needed to be held, to be close and assured that this wasn't just a dream. He kissed Iron Bull several times, over and over, and kept crying for some reason.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I just need to know it's really you." he said. "I was so scared." He spotted something walking outside the wagon. "Is that a wolf?" he asked.  
"Yeah, it's been following us since we left Skyhold." said Obsinion. He gently rubbed his brother's back, just like he used to. "I think it's Fen'Harel, or a messenger from him."  
"The Elfhen used to walk alongside wolves." said Faize, now snuggling Iron Bull's cheek so he could feel the stubbly beard. "So he could just be following because of that."  
"True." Obsinion sighed. "Still, the number of people, not just Elves, but Qunari and Humans, that the Elder's Son had in chains being turned into slaves was crazy."  
Faize settled into Iron Bull's lap, snuggling his head into the side of the Qunari's neck and drifting back to sleep.  
"He seems to be sleeping a lot."  
"Well, as long as the bleeding doesn't start up again, he should be fine. He showed signs of fatigue when he was rescued, so the extra sleep should be alright." said Stitches.

Obsinion sent each species of raider to their own kind to face their sentencing. Most were just bandits that had thought they were joining something with more meaning and were given community service to make amends. The Elder and his Son, however, were judged under the Inquisition, and cast out of all Dalish society to live as exiles in the Western Approach.  
Most of the slaves had nowhere to go, nowhere to call home. A few were in severe debt. Josephine and Lotus set to work, and soon most were employed outside of Skyhold to be able to pay those debts, while a few remained in Skyhold as assistant cooks, cleaners, or scribes.  
The seasons turned, and the winter winds came, though it wasn't all that different at Skyhold. It was getting close to the next turn of seasons, and the time that Faize would birth, when Obsinion and Iron Bull found the young Elf fiddling with something.  
"What are you up to?" asked Obsinion.  
"Just under you." Faize replied with a smile. "Actually, I was . . ." He sighed. "My Halla died."  
"I'm sorry." said Obsinion.  
"She was an older Halla, I kinda expected it." Faize said, wiping a tear away. "I asked for her pelt."  
"Why?" asked Iron Bull.  
"For the baby." Faize replied. "I . . . I remember the touch of Halla fur, but not much else."  
"A soft voice, singing. A lullaby. Stay warm, she says. A gentle kiss." Cole walked over. "Sorry."  
"No, it's ok. Things like that help me remember my Mom, and it's good to know I remember those little things."  
"Good." said Cole. He suddenly looked a little troubled.  
"What? Something with the baby?" Faize asked.  
"It wants to know why you just squeezed it." Cole stated.  
Faize put a hand on his stomach. "I've been feeling these things every so often. I guess, it's time."  
"Oh." Cole said. "I'll wait near here, if that's alright."  
Faize nodded, and he and Iron Bull made their way to their room.  
"So, um . . ."  
"Stitches." Faize said softly. "I know you trust him more than the Elf healer." He gave a huff as he sat on the bed.  
Iron Bull opened one of the doors, which actually opened into the attic of the tavern, and shouted "Stitches, off your ass!" The healer was up there relatively quick.  
"It's happening?" he asked.  
Faize nodded, tears starting to run. "Bull."  
"I'm here, Kadan." he soothed.  
"This could get messy."

It was unnerving, how quiet things got in the tavern. They could hear Faize's cries of pain, and then, the silence.  
Obsinion swallowed his beer and looked up as they heard the door open, watching as Stitches came down the stairs and nodded.  
All at once, the Chargers cheered, and began singing. "No man can beat the Chargers, 'cause we'll hit you where it hurts! Unless you know a Tavern with loose cards and looser skirts! For every Bloody battlefield we'll gladly raise a cup! No matter what tomorrow holds, our horns be pointing up!"  
Stitches raised a mug in the direction of Iron Bull's room. "And may his be that way, too."  
"What?" Obsinion asked.  
"Oh, you're here. Good. They wanted you and Krem up there to meet the new arrival." said Stitches.  
Krem looked at Obsinion, and the two headed up, taking the stairs two at a time. Obsinion reached the door first and knocked.  
"Come in." said Iron Bull. He was sitting on the bed, an arm around Faize, and their baby wrapped up in a blanket of Halla fur.  
"So?" Krem asked.  
"A boy." Faize said, his voice sounding hoarse but happy. He pulled the blanket back a little, letting the two see the baby's still red face, and the tiny horn nubs at the top of the child's forehead.  
"Horns, huh?" asked Obsinion.  
"Yeah." said Iron Bull. "He's got at least that part Qunari in him."  
The baby blinked at them, and Obsinion laughed.  
"What?" asked the new parents.  
"He got Faize's eyes." said Krem. "They're huge."  
The baby yawned and started to try and nuzzle Faize's chest.  
"Should I . . ?"  
"No, it's ok." said Faize. "It was part of the magic, after all." Faize pulled the blanket up over his front, and they noticed his relieved sigh.  
"Well, congratulations." said Obsinion as he and Krem left.

Cassandra found Obsinion in the tavern and put her hands on her hips.  
"What is is, Cassandra?" Obsinion asked.  
"If I had to guess, you planned on this from the beginning, didn't you?"  
"Planned on what?"  
Cassandra gave him a look as little Adria made the three steps from her mother to the chair. "I swear when I said 'mother of three', I was joking." She hit his shoulder. "Obviously, you weren't, though."  
Obsinion looked at her. "Seriously?" he asked.  
"I wouldn't be here, in a tavern, with the children, if I wasn't." She took a seat beside him. "So you had better make sure this is a world that will be good for our children, Obsinion."  
"I'll do what I can." he said, giving his wife a kiss.

The End


End file.
